Israel resumes Gaza bombardment, killing 330 as ceasefire talks collapse

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Tuesday March 18, 2025

A woman cries while sitting on the rubble of her house, destroyed in an Israeli strike, in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip on Tuesday.Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images

Mogadishu (HOL) — A night of relentless Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip has killed at least 330 people, including scores of women and children, in what marks the deadliest escalation since the ceasefire began on January 19. The Gaza health ministry reported the rising death toll early Tuesday as rescuers worked to pull bodies from the rubble of bombed-out buildings.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the strikes, calling them a response to Hamas’ “repeated refusal to release our hostages” and the group’s rejection of ceasefire extension proposals. “Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Netanyahu’s office stated, signaling that military operations will persist.

The overnight bombardment targeted densely populated areas, flattening entire city blocks and displacing thousands. Eyewitnesses described apocalyptic scenes of destruction. “They unleashed the fire of hell again on Gaza,” said Ramez Alammarin, who carried injured children to a makeshift hospital in Gaza City. “Bodies and limbs are on the ground, and the wounded cannot find any doctor to treat them.”

The United Nations swiftly condemned the escalation. “This is unconscionable. A ceasefire must be reinstated immediately,” said Muhannad Hadi, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Hospitals, already crippled by months of war and supply blockades, are struggling to cope with the influx of casualties.

The Israeli assault followed the breakdown of ceasefire negotiations mediated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar. Hamas accused Israel of deliberately dismantling the truce and called on mediators to hold Israel accountable. “Netanyahu and his extremist government are overturning the ceasefire and exposing prisoners in Gaza to an unknown fate,” the group said in a statement.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing relatives of Israeli captives, reacted with outrage, accusing Netanyahu’s government of abandoning those still held by Hamas. “The greatest fear of the families has come true. The Israeli government chose to give up the hostages,” the group said. Israeli officials maintain that 59 hostages remain in Gaza, with up to 24 believed to be alive.

As airstrikes continue, Israel has issued new evacuation orders for residents in Beit Hanoun, Khuza’a, Abasan al-Kabira, and Abasan al-Jadida, directing them to relocate to Khan Younis or western Gaza City. Thousands are fleeing on foot, carrying what little they can salvage.

“The bombings have been preceded by a total blockade on supplies, humanitarian goods, fuel, and cooking gas,” said Rosalia Bollen, a UNICEF spokesperson in Al-Mawasi. “Healthcare has been decimated throughout 15 months of war.”

The United States was notified in advance of the Israeli strikes, Israeli officials said. The White House has not publicly condemned the escalation, instead reiterating that Hamas had refused to release hostages and rejected ceasefire proposals.

Meanwhile, Israeli far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir welcomed the strikes. Smotrich declared, “The return to fighting will be completely different from before.”

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