{"id":261479,"date":"2025-03-18T15:52:11","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T15:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/18\/why-did-israel-resume-airstrikes-on-gaza-what-to-know-about-the-attacks\/"},"modified":"2025-03-18T15:52:11","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T15:52:11","slug":"why-did-israel-resume-airstrikes-on-gaza-what-to-know-about-the-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/18\/why-did-israel-resume-airstrikes-on-gaza-what-to-know-about-the-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Did Israel Resume Airstrikes on Gaza? What to Know About the Attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/03\/18\/multimedia\/18int-israel-gaza-wwk-01-tpfm\/18int-israel-gaza-wwk-01-tpfm-facebookJumbo.jpg?ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Why Did Israel Resume Airstrikes on Gaza? What to Know About the Attacks\" title=\"Why Did Israel Resume Airstrikes on Gaza? What to Know About the Attacks\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Israeli forces on Tuesday launched the largest and most deadly attacks on Gaza since a cease-fire with Hamas that began roughly two months ago. The barrage killed hundreds of people, according to health authorities in the enclave.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">As of midday Tuesday, it remained unclear whether the strikes were a brief attempt to force Hamas to compromise in cease-fire talks or the beginning of a new phase in the conflict.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<p><h2 class=\"css-13o6u42 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-463d866b\">What happened with the latest strikes?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-2\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Just before 2:30 a.m. local time, the Israeli military announced that it was conducting \u201cextensive strikes\u201d on Hamas targets. At least 400 Palestinians, including children, were killed in the strikes, according to the Gaza health ministry. The ministry\u2019s figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Hamas publicly announced the deaths of at least five senior officials among the group\u2019s Gaza leadership. Two were officials in the group\u2019s political bureau, and three others \u2014 including Bahjat Abu Sultan, the director of Hamas\u2019s feared internal security agency \u2014 held senior security roles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">When Israel launched the strikes, some people were preparing a special meal before the daily Ramadan fast. Others were jolted out of their sleep. After two months of relative calm, the widespread explosions left Gazans with an unmistakable message: The war had returned, at least for now.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-13o6u42 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-31a65752\">Why did Israel resume airstrikes on Gaza?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The Israeli authorities explained the assault as a response to intransigence by Hamas in talks over extending the cease-fire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel also said that Hamas had demonstrated a \u201crepeated refusal\u201d to release the rest of the hostages that it seized during its raid on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Around 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage in that attack, which began the war. \u201cFrom now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing military strength,\u201d it said in a statement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-3\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">That message was echoed by Israel\u2019s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, who said that the cease-fire talks had reached a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2025\/03\/17\/world\/israel-gaza-airstrikes\/927247df-d7cb-591e-b8c2-ef7f9abe0a14?smid=url-share\" title=\"\">dead end<\/a> and that Israel had \u201cno alternative but to give the order to reopen fire.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-13o6u42 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-4bde82df\">How did cease-fire negotiations break down?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-4\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/03\/world\/middleeast\/israel-hamas-cease-fire-assess.html\" title=\"\">talks stalled<\/a> because of disagreement over fundamental issues. Hamas, which has attempted to use the hostages as leverage throughout the conflict, has refused to release significant numbers of additional captives until Israel promised to permanently end the war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Israel and Hamas had been negotiating the next steps in the truce. The next phase is supposed to end the war and free more hostages. But Mr. Netanyahu\u2019s government has refused to agree to end the war unless Hamas gives up control of Gaza or dismantles its military wing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Israel\u2019s hand in the talks has been strengthened in recent weeks by backing from the Trump administration, which has delivered more weapons to the country. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said Israel had consulted the White House before launching the strikes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-5\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">To increase pressure on Hamas, Israel halted the delivery of aid and humanitarian supplies into Gaza earlier this month. That decision <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/15\/world\/middleeast\/gaza-aid-block.html\" title=\"\">exacerbated hardships<\/a> faced by civilians in the shattered enclave, where Palestinian health authorities say more than 46,000 people have been killed, a majority of them women, children or the elderly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The cease-fire deal, which came into effect on Jan. 19, was designed to <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/01\/14\/world\/middleeast\/gaza-ceasefire-what-we-know.html\" title=\"\">unfold in several stages<\/a> toward a comprehensive end to the conflict. Under the initial phase, which lasted six weeks, Hamas released 30 <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/27\/world\/middleeast\/gaza-israel-cease-fire-first-phase.html\" title=\"\">Israeli and foreign<\/a> hostages and handed over eight bodies. In exchange, Israel released 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-13o6u42 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-4ce10db0\">How did Hamas respond to the Israeli airstrikes?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Hamas accused Israel of deciding to \u201coverturn the cease-fire agreement, exposing the prisoners in Gaza to an unknown fate,\u201d referring to the remaining hostages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Hamas has not yet responded militarily to the attacks.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-13o6u42 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-26d298ab\">How many hostages remain in Gaza?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-6\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Of the 250 people seized, more than 130 have been released, including more than 100 during an initial cease-fire in the early months of the war and 30 more during the truce that began in January. The hostages were exchanged for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-7\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The Israeli military has also retrieved the bodies of at least 40 others. <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/18\/world\/middleeast\/israel-gaza-hostages.html\" title=\"\">Less than half<\/a> of the 59 who remain in Gaza are alive, according to the Israeli government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The main advocacy group for the families of hostages held in Gaza accused the Israeli government of effectively abandoning those still held there with its decision to launch large-scale airstrikes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-798hid etfikam0\">Reporting was contributed by <!-- -->Patrick Kingsley<!-- -->, <!-- -->Yan Zhuang<!-- -->, <!-- -->Rawan Sheikh Ahmad<!-- --> and <!-- -->Aaron Boxerman<!-- -->.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/03\/18\/world\/middleeast\/israel-attack-gaza-hamas.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Israeli forces on Tuesday launched the largest and most deadly attacks on Gaza since a cease-fire with Hamas that began roughly two months ago. The barrage killed hundreds of people, according to health authorities in the enclave. As of midday Tuesday, it remained unclear whether the strikes were a brief attempt to force Hamas to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":261480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/03\/18\/multimedia\/18int-israel-gaza-wwk-01-tpfm\/18int-israel-gaza-wwk-01-tpfm-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[19365,1179,4757,43,32652,5552,38,4758,8527,18573],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261479"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=261479"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261479\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":261481,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261479\/revisions\/261481"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/261480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=261479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=261479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=261479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}