Israel ended its Hamas ceasefire with airstrikes across Gaza that killed hundreds, pledging to ramp up attacks days after the U.S. ordered an offensive against the Houthis in an escalation of hostilities against Iran-backed militant groups.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday evening that the renewed strikes were “only the beginning” and vowed to maintain military pressure until Hamas releases the remaining hostages taken during the October 2023 attacks. He added that military operations would continue even if negotiations restarted, an abrupt end to any hope the near two-month truce would be extended into a second phase, initially slated for the start of March.
“This is not a one-day attack. We will continue the military operation in the coming days,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. “We reached a dead end where we weren’t firing and there was no release of our hostages, and Israel cannot accept this,” he said earlier.
