Israel Carries Out Major Strikes In Gaza After Ceasefire Talks With Hamas Stall, 300 Killed

Last Updated:March 18, 2025, 13:09 IST

The Israeli Army struck Gaza, killing at least 300 people, including five children, amid stalled ceasefire talks with Hamas

Mourners and a paramedic move the body of a Palestinian, killed in an Israeli strike, according to medics, at Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. (Photo: Reuters)

The Israeli Army said on Tuesday that it was carrying out “extensive strikes" on the Gaza Strip, as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas had stalled.

In a post on Telegram, the Israeli army said it was currently “conducting extensive strikes on terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip," adding that further details would follow. Israeli Army later urged Gaza residents to move away from borders.

Israel also promised ‘increasing military force’ in Gaza. Early Tuesday morning, Israel’s Prime Minister’s office said it instructed the army to strike Hamas across Gaza.

The statement said it was because of Hamas’ repeated refusals to release its hostages and its rejection of all offers it received from the US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and mediators.

The strikes come after nearly two months of a ceasefire to pause the 17-month-long war where dozens of hostages were released for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

At least 300 killed

Gaza’s civil defence agency said a series of Israeli air strikes on Tuesday killed at least 300 people, including five children, with over 150 wounded transported to a hospital.

“The death toll has reached over 300 martyrs and about 150 wounded as a result of a series of Israeli raids on areas of the Gaza Strip," agency spokesman Mahmud Basal told AFP.

What Hamas Said

A senior Hamas official has said Israel has decided to “sacrifice" its hostages by re-launching massive strikes in the Gaza Strip, shattering a period of relative calm since a January truce.

“Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to resume war is a decision to sacrifice the occupation’s prisoners and impose a death sentence on them," Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement, adding that the Israeli premier was using the fighting as a political “lifeboat" to distract from internal crises.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas called on Israel to stop its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, saying it would cause more bloodshed and complicate efforts to end the conflict, Egypt’s official MENA news agency reported Friday.

“Isarel must stop its ground operation in the Gaza Strip," MENA quoted Abbas as saying as he addressed a group of Egyptian intellectuals and journalists in Cairo.

“This operation would only lead to more bloodshed and complicate the situation and efforts to stop the (Israeli) aggression."

On Thursday, Abbas met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi amid intense diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group, Hamas, which entered its 11th day on Friday.

China Urges Steps To Prevent ‘Humanitarian Disaster’ In Gaza

China on Tuesday called for steps to prevent a “humanitarian disaster" in Gaza, after Israel unleashed its most intense strikes on the territory since a ceasefire.

“China is highly concerned about the current situation between Israel and Palestine," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, calling for the parties to “avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of the situation, and prevent a larger-scale humanitarian disaster".

(With inputs from AP, AFP)

News world Israel Carries Out Major Strikes In Gaza After Ceasefire Talks With Hamas Stall, 300 Killed