Gaza has witnessed its deadliest day since November 2023, with over 400 Palestinians killed in a devastating wave of airstrikes launched by Israel.
The strikes, which resumed early Tuesday (March 18) morning, shattered a two-month-old ceasefire and have reignited tensions in the region. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the attacks have left more than 560 people wounded, with rescuers continuing their search through the rubble.
Catastrophic scenes
The scale of the destruction and loss of life is unprecedented in the region since the outbreak of conflict in 2023. Gaza’s Civil Defense spokesperson, Mahmoud Basal, confirmed to international media that “more than 130 children and many women” have been killed, with entire families wiped out. The toll of the violence marks one of the highest single-day death counts in the region in more than a year.
Local hospitals, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the wounded, are struggling to provide care. Australian medic Mohammed Mustafa, who works at Gaza’s Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, shared harrowing details of the scene, describing a flood of burn and trauma victims. “The smell of burnt flesh is still in my nose,” Mustafa said.
He further described the chaotic conditions, noting that the hospital had run out of painkillers and anesthetics, leaving doctors to perform amputations without sedation on young children. The casualties are primarily women and children, many of whom suffer from severe burns and lost limbs.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) condemned the strikes, stating that more than 170 children were killed in the air raids. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell decried the attacks, calling it “one of the largest single-day child death tolls in the past year globally.”
Devastating Humanitarian Crisis
The resumption of hostilities has placed the people of Gaza in an increasingly dire situation. Healthcare workers, like Dr. Razan Al-Nahhas, describe working around the clock to treat the injured, with limited resources and a constant influx of patients. “It’s been absolutely horrific. Nothing close to anything I’ve experienced before… Multiple explosions within just a span of a few minutes back-to-back,” she told CNN.
Hospitals are overwhelmed, and Gaza’s population of more than two million people faces extreme hardship as access to food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid becomes increasingly difficult.
As Israel’s airstrikes continue, the region is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster. The international community remains divided, with calls for an immediate return to peace negotiations intensifying as the death toll rises.
Israel says attacks on Gaza that killed hundreds ‘only the beginning’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the fresh air attacks that killed hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza are “only the beginning” and Israel would continue to fight until its war aims are achieved.
He described Israel’s renewed deadly attacks on Gaza as a “return to battle forcefully,” arguing that military pressure is necessary to get the remaining hostages released. “The military strike on Hamas and the release of our hostages are not contradictory goals – they are goals that are intertwined,” he said.
The Israeli military and Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service, said in a statement early Tuesday that they were conducting “extensive strikes” on purported Hamas targets in Gaza.
The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions. The Israeli military ordered people to evacuate parts of northern and eastern Gaza, indicating that Israel could soon launch renewed ground operations.
The White House expressed support for Israel’s actions, with a spokesperson noting that the U.S. had been consulted on the decision to resume airstrikes. However, Israel’s renewed offensive has drawn condemnation from several international bodies and governments.
Israeli hostages urge their government to resume negotiations
The strikes have raised concerns over the fate of hostages still held by Hamas. “Military operations endanger their lives directly,” recently-released hostage Sasha Troufanov said.
Former hostages, including Keith Siegel, an American-Israeli freed in recent months, urged Israel to return to negotiations, fearing that military operations would jeopardize the lives of those still in captivity. “Today, the ceasefire has collapsed. For the 59 hostages still held in Gaza and their families this moment brings renewed fear—not only of the ongoing attacks but of a breakdown in negotiations that could bring them home,” Siegel said.
Key Highlights
- Ceasefire Over: Israel launched extensive strikes on Hamas, ending the ceasefire. Several Arab nations accused Israel of violating the ceasefire.
- Hamas accusations: Hamas accused Israel of overturning the ceasefire and putting captives at risk. Israel claimed Hamas repeatedly refused to release hostages.
- Deadliest day since November 2023: Over 400 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes, making it the deadliest day since November 7, 2023.
- Israel’s justification: Israel’s Defense Minister stated that the military strikes will continue “as long as necessary” until hostages are released.
- Gaza’s deadliest day in over 15 months: More than 130 children and many women were among the 400+ people killed in the strikes.
- Arab nations accuse Israel of violating ceasefire: Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia condemned Israel’s actions as a violation of the ceasefire.
- Families of Israeli hostages protest: Protesters gathered near Israel’s parliament to oppose Netanyahu’s decision to restart the war and dismiss the head of Shin Bet.
Global reactions to the escalation
The resurgence of violence has sparked widespread condemnation from around the world. Several Arab nations, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, have accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and escalating tensions in the region.
In a statement, Jordan’s foreign ministry called on Israel to “adhere to the ceasefire agreement in all its phases,” warning of the potential for regional instability “if Israel continues its aggression against Gaza.”
Egypt, which helped mediate the ceasefire in January, called Israel’s strikes “a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement,” adding that Israel’s actions are “aimed at reintroducing tension to the region and undermining efforts to achieve de-escalation and restore stability.”
Saudi Arabia condemned what it called Israel’s “direct shelling of civilian areas, with no regard for international humanitarian law.” audi Arabia’s foreign ministry added: “The kingdom stresses the importance of an immediate cessation of Israeli killing, violence and destruction, as well as the protection of Palestinian civilians from the unjust Israeli war machine.”
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Israel’s actions constitute “yet another heinous crime.” Al Thani said on X: “The brutal bombardment of Gaza this morning, targeting displaced women and children in their tents while they are asleep, during the unjust blockade, lack of aid and collapsing medical facilities, constitutes yet another heinous crime perpetuated by the occupation without any sense of responsibility.”
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed shock over the scale of the attacks, urging both sides to resume negotiations and for hostages to be released unconditionally. The UN’s Palestinian Territories Ambassador, Dr. Riyad Mansour, lamented the “horrific images” of children caught in the crossfire, calling for an immediate end to the violence.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan went further, calling Israel a “terrorist state” and accusing it of committing “genocide” against Palestinians. Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza
His remarks were echoed by leaders in Europe, where several governments, including those of Ireland, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged both Israel and Hamas to return to negotiations, warning that “diplomacy, not more bloodshed,” is the key to achieving peace.
European countries denounce Israeli strikes on Gaza
Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela called Israel’s overnight strikes on Gaza “barbarous,” saying that Malta’s government “strongly condemns” the attacks.
Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen called for all parties to “respect the ceasefire” and for the release of all remaining hostages. “We expect full protection of civilians and immediate unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid,” she posted to X.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry called for “an immediate return to the ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.”
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that “the civilian casualties from Israeli strikes overnight are appalling,” calling on both parties to “re-engage with negotiations to get hostages out, surge aid, and secure a permanent end to this conflict. Diplomacy, not more bloodshed, is how we get security for Israelis and Palestinians.”
Portugal’s foreign ministry called Israel’s strikes on Gaza “deeply alarming,” adding that “all parties must respect the ceasefire agreement and implement its second phase.”
Norway’s foreign minister Espen Barth Eide called the situation a “nightmare” for Palestinian civilians, the hostages, and their families.
Estonia’s foreign ministry said it is “deeply concerned about the escalation of conflict in Gaza, resulting in the tragic loss of innocent lives,” calling on both Israel and Hamas to resume peace negotiations.
Poland’s foreign ministry “deplores the renewed hostilities and civilian casualties from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza Strip,” urging “all parties to cease fighting and fully implement the ceasefire to enable the release of all hostages and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.”
Slovenia’s foreign ministry expressed “deep concerns about the renewed attacks in Gaza, which have tragically claimed innocent lives,” urging Israel to “cease all military operations immediately, allowing for all hostages to be returned and call for the restoration of full humanitarian access. All parties must return to negotiations leading to a lasting peace and a two-state solution.”
European Council President António Costa said he was “shocked and saddened by the news coming from Gaza and the many civilian casualties following the Israeli airstrikes.” Costa called for the terms of the ceasefire agreement to be respected, for hostages and detainees to be released, and for humanitarian aid to be resumed into Gaza.