Uncertainty Looms Over the Resumption of Ceasefire Negotiations
The large-scale airstrikes by Israel on the Gaza Strip have resulted in hundreds of casualties, marking a catastrophic turn just two months after the ceasefire took effect. Amid stalled discussions on extending the ceasefire, Israel has announced additional military operations following the airstrikes.
According to local media such as The Times of Israel and Ynet on the 18th (local time), the Israeli military launched extensive airstrikes around 2 a.m. targeting hundreds of Hamas objectives across the Gaza Strip, including high-ranking commanders, tunnels, and weapons storage facilities.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Katz declared in a statement, "As Hamas refuses to release hostages and threatens to harm Israel, we have returned to combat in the Gaza Strip." He added, "We will not stop fighting until all hostages are returned and all war objectives are achieved."
This attack is the largest since the ceasefire took effect in the Gaza Strip on January 19. The Gaza Strip Ministry of Health, governed by Hamas, reported that at least 326 Palestinian residents have died.
Both sides had maintained a restrained atmosphere by refraining from clashes while continuing discussions to extend the ceasefire after the first 42-day phase expired on the 1st of this month. However, with differing positions unresolved, negotiations appear to have effectively collapsed.
Israel had been considering resuming military operations to pressure the release of its citizens held hostage in the Gaza Strip, and the Trump administration, which mediated the ceasefire, agreed with Israel, leading to the airstrikes.
Notably, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders to Palestinian residents in peripheral areas of the Gaza Strip such as Beit Hanoun and Khan Yunis on the morning of the same day, suggesting that additional military operations are imminent and signaling a shift toward renewed hostilities.
U.S. media Axios, citing Israeli officials, reported, "Hamas has prepared new attacks against Israel, and in response, the Israeli military has secretly planned a surprise operation against Hamas." It also stated that Israel has resumed war in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas strongly condemned the Israeli airstrikes and attempted to contact Middle Eastern ceasefire mediators such as Egypt and Qatar, but it remains uncertain whether the negotiation table will be reactivated.
In a statement, Hamas said, "Netanyahu and his Nazi government have resumed a war of aggression and mass slaughter against defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip," adding, "Because Netanyahu and his extremist government decided to break the ceasefire negotiations, the fate of the captives in the Gaza Strip has become uncertain."
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