The Israeli strikes on Gaza, the largest since a ceasefire took effect in January, killed more than 400 people on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning Hamas that the attack was “only the beginning”.
Here Are Top 10 Points On Israel-Hamas War:
- Israel carried out its heaviest attacks since the start of the ceasefire on Tuesday, with rescuers reporting more than 400 people killed. Hamas also said the head of its government in the Gaza Strip, Essam al-Dalis, was among a list of officials who were killed in the Israeli strikes on the war-torn territory.
- The Gaza health ministry said the bodies of 413 people had been received by “overwhelmed” hospitals, adding “a number of victims are still under the rubble”.
- “They unleashed the fire of hell again on Gaza,” a resident said of Israel. “I thought they were dreams and nightmares, but I saw a fire in my relatives’ house. More than 20 martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women,” said another.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to eliminate Hamas for attacking Israel in October 2023, warned the group that this was “just the beginning”. “From now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing force. And from now on, negotiations will only take place under fire,” he said. “Hamas has already felt the blow of our arm in the last 24 hours. And I want to assure you: This is just the beginning.”
- Hamas, which still holds 59 of about 250 hostages Israel says the group seized in its attack, accused Israel of jeopardising efforts by mediators to negotiate a permanent deal to end the fighting. In a statement, Hamas, which has controlled the territory since 2007, urged friendly countries to “pressure” the US to bring to an end the strikes by its ally Israel.
- In a separate statement, Hamas said Israel had “decided to overturn the ceasefire agreement” brokered by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators. It also warned that the resumption of violence would “impose a death sentence” on the remaining living hostages.
- The White House said Israel consulted US President Donald Trump’s administration before launching the strikes. A US State Department spokesperson said that “Hamas bears total responsibility… for the resumption of hostilities”.
- Netanyahu’s office had earlier said the operation was ordered after “Hamas’s repeated refusal to release our hostages”.
- The truce talks stalled as Israel wanted to extend the first phase of the three-stage ceasefire agreement, while Hamas said it would resume freeing hostages only under the second phase that was due to begin on March 2.
- Israel wanted to extend the first phase until mid-April, saying that any transition to the second phase must include “the total demilitarisation” of Gaza and the removal of Hamas.