The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with only two months of existence, has been unstable for some time. But it was deeply shaken by the Israeli bombing in Gaza, which began at dawn on Tuesday.
The attacks killed many hundreds of Palestinians. This Tuesday was the deadliest in Gaza since the first weeks of the conflict that began in late 2023.
The military said on Wednesday that they launched “specific terrestrial activities” in Gaza and partially resumed the important Netzarim corridor, which divides the track. Attacks throughout the Gaza Strip also continued throughout the day, including Al-Mawasi, which for some time was designated a safe area by the Israeli military, despite continuous attacks.
“From now on, negotiations will only take place under fire,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a television speech on Tuesday night. “I want to assure you: this is just the beginning.”
This is what to know about the beginning of the conflict.
Why did Israel return to the war?
The Israeli government presented different reasons.
During the night, Israel’s Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, said the attacks were “due to Hamas’ refusal to free the hostages and threats of injuring IDF soldiers and Israeli communities.”
If this sounds like the same reason that Israel gave to attack Gaza since October 7, 2023, it is because it is. Israel’s war objectives in Gaza are to return the remaining hosts made by Hamas and destroy the government and the military capabilities of Hamas.
Later, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Ministry spokesman said the attacks were due to “Hamas rejected two concrete mediation proposals presented by US President Steve Witkoff’s envoy.”
An Israeli employee said Israel’s air strikes in Gaza is the first phase of a series of climbing military actions designed to press Hamas to release more hostages, marking a return to Netanyahu’s opinion that military pressure is the most effective way to ensure hostage release.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli military brought back to Israel eight living hostages out of a total of 251 captured by Hamas and his allies.
Israelite internal policy is an important factor.
The far right in Israel never liked the ceasefire in Gaza, because he sees him as a capitulation before Hamas. They want all Palestinians to abandon Gaza and to restore the colonates that evacuated in 2005.
Netanyahu needs this faction to govern. A far-right minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, abandoned the government in protest against ceasefire. Another, Bezalel Smotrich, said he would leave if Israel would not return to war. This would have destroyed the government coalition of Netanyahu.
But this Tuesday, Ben Gvir’s party – Jewish power – announced that it would be part of the government again. It is a great political victory for Netanyahu and for the stability of its coalition.
The return of the conflict in Gaza will also divert attention from Netanyahu’s desire to dismiss the director of the Israeli International Security Agency, Shin Bet. This decision, announced on Sunday, was the subject of massive protests.
Both Smotrich and Ben Givr consider that Israel has been too shy in the conduct of war.
“This is a phased operation that we planned and built in recent weeks, since the new IDF Chief of Staff has taken office,” said Smotrich. “And with God’s help, it will be completely different from what has been done so far.”
What happened to the ceasefire talks?
Israel and Hamas began a ceasefire on January 19, with the first phase lasting 42 days. Hamas made it clear that it intends to start negotiations for a possible second phase, as provided for in the Crace Agreement.
Under the second phase, Israel would have to withdraw fully from Gaza and commit to putting a permanent end to the war. In return, Hamas would free all living hostages.
Israel made it clear that he wants new conditions. He wants Hamas to continue to release hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners – but without any commitment to end the war or remove his armed forces.
Hamas militants deliver the Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert hostages to the Gaza Center on February 22 (Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
The two parties should have discussed a second phase from February 3, but the Israeli government ignored this period.
Breaking decades of tradition, the US began to speak directly to Hamas, which they consider a terrorist organization. And Israel sent negotiation teams to Qatar and Egypt, on Sunday, “in an effort to advance negotiations.”
Israel says the US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, proposed a prolongation of the ceasefire for a month, until Ramadão and then to Easter in late April – but without any of the commitments made in January. Hamas immediately rejected this plan, stating that Netanyahu and his government were carrying out “a blatant blow against the ceasefire agreement” that had already been agreed.
It has been clear that both sides are separated by oceans.
Last week, Hamas offered to free the American-Israelite Soldier Edan Alexander, along with the bodies of four other double-nationality citizens-presumably four dead American Americans. In return, he said that Israel must respect “the ceasefire agreement in three phases signed by all parties on January 17, 2025”.
Israel called this offer “psychological war.”
Has the war resumed in strength?
The Israeli army gave very few details about its operation. The first announcement said they were carrying out “extensive attacks on terrorist targets belonging to the terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”
At the end of Tuesday, the military ordered the Palestinians to abandon their homes in areas of the Gaza Strip, miles from the Israeli border.
This has given rise to speculation that Israel may be preparing a new land invasion – and may even try to occupy urban centers in Gaza, something that has not done so far.
Men carry the body of a killed Palestinian in an Israeli air strike in the city of Gaza on 18 March (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP via CNN Newsource)
Following the entry into force of the ceasefire on 19 January, Israel removed his troops into the borders of Gaza – with Egypt to the south and with Israel to the north and the east.
Israel is unlikely to stop its growing military offensive without a deal to release more hostages, determined to force Hamas to negotiate under fire.
Israel plans to gradually increase military operations in Gaza, said the Israelite employee, but it is not yet clear when Israel may again send land troops to fight in Gaza.
On the other hand, Hamas and his allies – who have killed hundreds of Israeli soldiers in Gaza since October 7, 2023 – seem to be committed to the terms of existing ceasefire for now.
Israel has stated a few times since January 19 that Gaza rockets had been launched, but well within the territory. But it did not prove it, and Hamas did not launch Rockets against Israel during the two months of respite.
What does this mean to the inhabitants of Gaza?
It is devastating.
Tuesday is the deadliest day in Gaza in more than a year – since November 7, 2023, when 548 Palestinians were killed.
It’s been more than two weeks since Israel blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza – a response, according to the country, to Hamas’ refusal to accept the new Israeli conditions for the truce. The war will exacerbate this suffering.
Already this Tuesday, Palestinian magots were again seen in motion, ordered by the military to take the little they have and abandoning areas considered insecure.
Ahmad al Shafi, who has been sheltered at Deir El Balah, told CNN that bombing began around 2:00 am.
“Israelites have no promises to be committed to? It was a terrifying night,” he said. “God is only merciful. There are still two children under the rubble – one 26 years old and one of 5. We cannot recover them.”
The Israeli army has killed about 49,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the Hamas attack on October 7 – most of civilians – according to the local Ministry of Health.
Feeding “hell on earth” resuming war will only bring more despair and suffering, ”said UN main guardian for Palestinian affairs, Philippe Lazzarini, this Tuesday.
What does this mean for hostages?
It’s a rude blow. There are still 59 hostages in Gaza, which we think 24 are alive.
The families of those who are still detained are outraged.
“The Israeli government has chosen to give up hostages,” the hostage forum and missing families said in a statement. “We are shocked, angry and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the return process of our loved ones from the terrible captive of Hamas.”
What role did the US play?
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said on Monday that “the Trump administration and the White House were consulted by the Israelites about their attacks in Gaza.”
US President Donald Trump assumed credit for the ceasefire that began shortly before taking office, and his advisers played an important role in pressuring Netanyahu to accept it.
But Donald Trump also made it clear that he would support the relaunch of war for Israel.
“I am sending Israel everything you need to finish the job, no Hamas member will be saved if they do not do what I say,” said in a statement earlier this month. “Free hostages now, or there will be hell to pay later!”
Jeremy Diamond, Abeer Salman and Mohammed Al Sawalhi contributed to this report
