Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was striking dozens of Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January. Palestinian officials reported at least 69 deaths.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in talks to extend the ceasefire. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand.

“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Netanyahu’s office said.

The surprise attack shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and raised the prospect of a full return to fighting in a 17-month war that has killed over 48,000 Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza. It also raised questions about the fate of the roughly two dozen Israeli hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive.

In a statement, Hamas condemned what it called Israel's “unprovoked escalation” and said it had put the fate of the hostages in jeopardy.

There was no immediate U.S. reaction. But over the weekend, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading mediation efforts along with Egypt and Qatar, warned that Hamas must release living hostages immediately “or pay a severe price."

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the unfolding operation, said Israel was striking Hamas' military, leaders and infrastructure and planned to expand the operation beyond air attacks. The official accused Hamas of attempting to rebuild and plan new attacks. Hamas militants and security forces quickly returned to the streets in recent weeks after the ceasefire went into effect.

Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, said the “gates of hell will open in Gaza” if the hostages aren't released. “We will not stop fighting until all of our hostages are home and we have achieved all of the war goals,” he said.

Explosions could be heard throughout Gaza, and at least 69 people were killed in the morning airstrikes, according to four hospitals that received the bodies. The territory's civil defense agency said its crews were having a difficult time carrying out rescue efforts because various areas were being targeted simultaneously.

Talks on a second phase of the ceasefire had stalled

The strikes came two months after a ceasefire was reached to pause the war. Over six weeks, Hamas released roughly three dozen hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in a first phase of the ceasefire.

But since that ceasefire ended two weeks ago, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward with a second phase aimed at releasing the nearly 60 remaining hostages and ending the war altogether.

Hamas has demanded an end to the war and full withdrawal of Israeli troops in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages. Israel says it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas governing and military capabilities and frees all hostages.

Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to resume the war, and early this month cut off the entry of all food and aid deliveries into the besieged territory to put pressure on Hamas.

“This comes after Hamas repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the U.S. presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators,” Netanyahu's office said early Tuesday.

Taher Nunu, a Hamas official, criticized the Israeli attacks. “The international community faces a moral test: either it allows the return of the crimes committed by the occupation army or it enforces a commitment to ending the aggression and war against innocent people in Gaza,” he said.

Gaza already was in a humanitarian crisis

The war erupted with Hamas' Oct 7, 2023, cross-border attack, which killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.

Israel responded with a military offensive that killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza's population. The territory's Health Ministry doesn't differentiate between civilians and militants, but says over half of the dead have been women and children.

The ceasefire had brought some relief to Gaza and allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to resume to what remained of their homes.

But the territory is coping with vast destruction, with no immediate plans to rebuild. A resumption of the war threatens to reverse any progress made in recent weeks toward halting Gaza's humanitarian crisis.

A renewed Israeli ground offensive could also be especially deadly now that so many Palestinian civilians have returned home. Before the ceasefire, civilians were largely concentrated in tent camps meant to provide relative safety from the fighting.

The return to fighting could also worsen deep internal fissures inside Israel over the fate of the remaining hostages. Many of the hostages released by Hamas returned emaciated and malnourished and described harsh conditions in captivity, putting heavy pressure on the government to extend the ceasefire.

The released hostages have repeatedly implored the government to press ahead with the ceasefire to return all remaining hostages, and tens of thousands of Israelis have taken part in mass demonstrations in recent weeks calling for a ceasefire and return of all hostages.

Mass demonstrations are planned later Tuesday and Wednesday following Netanyahu's announcement this week that he wants to fire the head of Israel's internal security agency, the Shin Bet. Critics have lambasted the move, saying it is an attempt by Netanyahu to divert blame for his government's failures in the Oct. 7 attack and handling of the war.

Since the ceasefire in Gaza began in mid-January, Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military says approached its troops or entered unauthorized areas.

Still, the deal has tenuously held without an outbreak of wide violence. The ceasefire’s first phase saw an exchange of some hostages held by Hamas in return for the freeing of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate the next steps in the ceasefire.

Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Hamas instead wants to follow the ceasefire deal reached by the two sides, which calls for negotiations to begin on the ceasefire’s more difficult second phase, in which the remaining hostages would be released and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza. Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others.

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Hamas: Israeli airstrikes put hostages at risk as ceasefire breaks down

• Israel’s latest airstrikes killed at least 44 people in Gaza, making it the deadliest attack since the ceasefire began in January.

• Hamas warns the strikes violate the ceasefire and endanger hostage negotiations, calling the escalation an "unprovoked attack."

• Israel says the offensive is due to Hamas’ refusal to release hostages, vowing to increase military pressure if talks continue to stall.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip - Israel’s heaviest airstrikes on Gaza since January’s ceasefire killed at least 44 people early Tuesday, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The strikes come as hostage negotiations stall, with Hamas accusing Israel of breaking the truce and endangering talks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the renewed attacks, saying Hamas had refused to release more hostages despite mediation efforts by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar. Hamas called the offensive an "unprovoked escalation" and warned that hostage negotiations could be in jeopardy.

The latest developments raise fears of a full-scale resumption of war, threatening months of fragile ceasefire progress.

Why did Israel resume military operations?

The backstory

The latest escalation marks a turning point in the fragile ceasefire, with both sides accusing the other of undermining negotiations. As tensions rise, it remains unclear whether Israel’s strikes are meant to pressure Hamas back to the table or if they signal the beginning of a broader military campaign.

• Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in January, halting the 17-month-long war and allowing dozens of hostages to be exchanged for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

• Talks for a second phase of the deal—releasing the remaining hostages and negotiating a permanent ceasefire—have stalled in recent weeks.

• Netanyahu accused Hamas of rejecting all offers, including those mediated by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

In response, Israel launched widespread airstrikes, but it remains unclear whether this is a one-time pressure tactic or the resumption of full-scale military operations.

What is Hamas saying about the ceasefire?

What they're saying

Hamas claims Israel’s new wave of attacks threatens the hostages’ safety and signals the collapse of the ceasefire.

Taher Nunu, a Hamas official, condemned Israel’s actions, stating: "The international community faces a moral test: either it allows the return of the crimes committed by the occupation army or it enforces a commitment to ending the aggression and war against innocent people in Gaza."

Gaza’s health ministry confirmed that at least 44 people were killed in Tuesday’s airstrikes.

What's next

The future of the ceasefire remains uncertain as hostilities escalate. Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to resume the war if Hamas does not comply with demands for further hostage releases.

With negotiations at a standstill, the coming days will determine whether Israel’s attacks continue or diplomacy resumes.

The U.S., Egypt, and Qatar are still pushing for a long-term truce, but with tensions rising, the path forward remains unclear.

The Source

This story was reported from Los Angeles. It is based on information from The Associated Press, detailing Israel’s latest military actions, failed ceasefire negotiations, and regional escalations involving Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria.

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Gaza truce shatters as Israel carries out wave of deadly strikes and says it has ‘returned to fighting’

Gaza’s fragile ceasefire shattered early Tuesday as Israel carried out deadly strikes across the enclave and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to use “increasing military strength” against Hamas.

The overnight bombardments struck multiple locations across Gaza and were the most extensive since a months-long ceasefire came into effect, with Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz declaring: “Tonight we returned to fighting in Gaza.”

The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was already hanging in the balance with phase one ending two weeks ago and all sides at loggerheads over a path forward that might see remaining Israeli hostages freed and a permanent peace secured.

Israel’s military and security agency said they were “currently conducting extensive strikes” on Hamas targets in Gaza. In response, Hamas accused Netanyahu - and what it described as his extremist government - of deciding to overturn the ceasefire agreement, and “putting the captives in Gaza at risk of an unknown fate.”

At least 210 people have been killed and hundreds injured in the new wave of Israeli strikes, according to the Palestinian ministry of health in Gaza.

The Civil Defense in Gaza said a number people were “trapped under the rubble of homes that were bombed in various areas” of the enclave. CNN stringers in Gaza reported the sounds of strikes in multiple locations, including Gaza City, Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah.

Videos obtained by CNN showed scenes of panic and chaos across Gaza as families desperately rushed wounded loved ones to hospital and rescue workers transported patients in ambulances or on stretchers. The images showed several young children killed by the strikes.

Deaths and injuries, including of children, have been reported at hospitals ranging from the northern end of the strip to its southern tip more than 30 kilometers away, including Al-Awda hospital in Tal Al-Zaatar, northern Gaza; Al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat, central Gaza; and Nasser hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Several hospitals said the casualties were due to civilian homes being hit by the strikes.

‘As long as necessary’

The Israeli military has continued to operate inside Gaza since the start of the ceasefire on January 19, but Tuesday’s airstrikes are the clearest sign that efforts to extend the truce have collapsed.

Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz ordered the operation, accusing Hamas of “repeatedly” refusing to release hostages and rejecting all offers from United States presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and mediators.

“The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is currently attacking targets of the Hamas terrorist organization throughout the Gaza Strip, with the aim of achieving the war goals as determined by the political echelon, including the release of all our hostages — living and dead,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

“From now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing military strength.”

Israel has blocked the supply of food and other humanitarian aid into Gaza for the past two weeks, in a bid to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages and impose new conditions on the extension of the truce. Israel also cut electricity to the last facility in Gaza that was still receiving power, intensifying the enclave’s existing water crisis and severely impacting desalination efforts, local officials said.

The return of thousands of trucks carrying food, hygiene supplies and other necessities during the pause in fighting had somewhat alleviated dire humanitarian conditions that have gripped Gaza. A return to the 17-month war that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians would “lead to an immense tragedy,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said last month.

The Israeli strikes come days after the US put forward a new proposal that would secure the release of a handful of living hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a month-long extension of the ceasefire.

Under the US proposal, Israel would also lift its blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza, a source familiar with the negotiations said.

Hamas said Friday it had responded to a proposal to extend the truce, “which included its approval” to release American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander and the bodies of four dual nationals held hostage in Gaza.

On Tuesday, Hamas leader Ezzat al-Rishq said the new airstrikes were a “death sentence” for the remaining Israeli hostages held in the enclave.

In total, 251 people were kidnapped from Israel in the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023. Of the nearly 60 hostages remaining in Gaza, fewer than half are believed to be alive.

An Israeli official claimed the extensive attack in Gaza Tuesday was “preemptive” and said the strikes would “continue as long as necessary and will expand beyond airstrikes.”

The official declined to provide any details about what they claimed was Hamas’ “readiness to execute terror attacks, build up force and re-arm,” but said the strikes were targeting the group’s “mid-ranking military commanders, leadership officials and terrorist infrastructure.”

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