Israel strikes Gaza, breaking ceasefire
326 Palestinians are dead in the first major attack since Netanyahu's government signed a ceasefire agreement with Hamas


What happened
Israel Tuesday morning launched what it called "extensive strikes" on Hamas "terror targets" across Gaza, its first major attack on the Palestinian enclave since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government signed a ceasefire agreement with Hamas two months ago. Gaza's health ministry said at least 326 Palestinians were killed in the strikes.
Who said what
The attack was prompted by "Hamas' repeated refusal to release our hostages" and its "rejection of all the proposals" from U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and other mediators, Netanyahu's office said. "Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength." Hamas said Israel's decision to "overturn the ceasefire agreement" exposed the remaining hostages "to an unknown fate." Hamas still holds 59 Israeli hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that Israel had consulted the U.S. before launching the strikes. President Donald Trump "has made it clear" that "Hamas, the Houthis, Iran" and anyone else seeking to "terrorize" Israel or the U.S. "will see a price to pay: All hell will break loose," she said. Israel's Hostage Families Forum said in a statement that Netanyahu had "chosen to abandon the hostages" and its members were "shocked, angry and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
Negotiations on ending the Gaza war have deadlocked, but it was "unclear whether the attack effectively ended the ceasefire," The New York Times said. Hamas "has not yet declared that it is resuming the war," the BBC said, "instead calling on mediators and the United Nations to intervene."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
China's Xi hosts Modi, Putin, Kim in challenge to US
Speed Read Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Asian leaders at an SCO summit
-
What is Tony Blair's plan for Gaza?
Today's Big Question Former PM has reportedly been putting together a post-war strategy 'for the past several months'
-
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 23, hits EU offices
Speed Read The strike was the second-largest since Russia invaded in 2022
-
UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping mission
Speed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
-
How Israel's 'Legitimisation Cell' is justifying journalist killings in Gaza
The Explainer Evidence suggests a secret intelligence unit is portraying Palestinian journalists as Hamas operatives
-
Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital kills 20
Speed Read The dead include five journalists who worked for The Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera
-
Kyiv marks independence as Russia downplays peace
Speed Read President Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Zelenskyy for peace talks pushed by President Donald Trump
-
Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?
In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal