The Israeli military announced that it was carrying out widespread attacks on Hamas targets in Gaza, with reports of casualties in a series of the most intense airstrikes since the ceasefire on January 19.
Through a post on Telegram, the army stated that it was presently engaged in extensive strikes on terrorist facilities linked to the Hamas group in the Gaza Strip and mentioned that more information would be provided soon.
Medical personnel and witnesses reported that three residences in Deir Al-Balah, a structure in Gaza City, as well as targets in Khan Younis and Rafah, were struck.
Early Friday 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.
Ceasefire talks have stalled due to a disagreement between Israel and Hamas on how to sustain the three-phase ceasefire that began in January.
Arab mediators, backed by the United States, haven’t been able to hammer out differences between the two warring parties in talks held over the past two weeks when the ceasefire was due to enter the second phase.
Palestinians look at the car that became unusable as a result of the Israeli airstrike in Beit Lahia, Gaza on March 15, 2025
This came as Israel announced it would be suspending the entry of all goods and supplies into Gaza, it announced on March 2, over a dispute around the timing of the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
When the 42-day first phase of the ceasefire drew to a close in early March, Israel gave its backing to an extension it said was put forward by Witkoff, which would cover the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Hamas has repeatedly rejected an extension, instead favouring a transition to the truce deal’s second phase, which would see the release of all remaining hostages and a more permanent end to the fighting in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.
‘Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided that, from this morning, all entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip will be suspended,’ his office said in a statement earlier this month.
‘Israel will not accept a ceasefire without the release of our hostages. If Hamas persists with its refusal, there will be other consequences,’ it added.
Hamas slammed the move, saying in a statement that the ‘decision to suspend humanitarian aid is cheap blackmail, a war crime and a blatant coup against the (ceasefire) agreement’.
On Saturday night, Netanyahu announced that Israel is prepared to continue ceasefire talks based on a US proposal for the release of 11 living hostages and half of the deceased.
In a statement on X, his office said: ‘Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an in-depth discussion this evening on the issue of the hostages, with the participation of the negotiating team and the heads of the security establishment.
File image of an Israeli air strike on Gaza in October 2023 immediately after Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks
‘Following the discussion, the Prime Minister instructed the negotiating team to prepare for the continuation of the talks as per the mediators’ response to the Witkoff proposal for the immediate release of 11 living hostages and half of the deceased hostages.’
On Friday Hamas said it would release the last living American-Israeli hostage and the remains of four other dual-national hostages after receiving a proposal from mediators to continue negotiations on the second phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal.
Edan Alexander, 21, who has been held for 525 days, will be released along with the bodies of four other hostages who died in captivity, Hamas has claimed.
On March 15, Hamas said the release will only happen if Israel implements their ceasefire agreement, calling it an ‘exceptional deal’ aimed at getting the truce back on track.
A senior Hamas official said long-delayed talks over the ceasefire’s second phase would need to begin the day of the release and last no longer than 50 days.
Israel would also need to stop barring the entry of humanitarian aid and withdraw from a strategic corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
