Israel Overturns Gaza Ceasefire with Deadly Strikes, Over 200 Killed: Medics Claim

Over 200 Killed: At least 330 people were killed as Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across Gaza early Tuesday, shattering a fragile ceasefire that had held since January, according to reports.

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he had instructed the military to take "strong action" against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in response to the group's refusal to release hostages held there and rejection of ceasefire proposals.

A senior Hamas official cited by Reuters said Israel is “unilaterally ending the Gaza ceasefire” agreement after the series of Israeli strikes that killed dozens of Palestinians.

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Hamas accused Israel of overturning the hard-fought ceasefire deal agreed in January, leaving the fate of 59 hostages still held in Gaza uncertain.

Strikes in Gaza were reported in multiple locations. Officials from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said many of the dead were children.

"The health ministry has recorded more than 330 deaths, most of them Palestinian women and children, and hundreds of wounded, dozens of them in critical condition," the head of the ministry, Mohammed Zaqut, told AFP.

Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength," prime minister's office statement said.

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According to medics and witnesses, three houses were struck in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, a building was hit in Gaza City, and targets in Khan Younis and Rafah were also attacked.

Tuesday's airstrikes targeted what the Israeli military described as mid-level Hamas commanders and infrastructure. However, Palestinian medics and witnesses reported widespread destruction in civilian areas, including a building in Gaza City and homes in Deir al-Balah.

The full scale of the devastation is still unfolding, but the Palestinian Health Ministry has warned that Gaza's already crippled hospital system is struggling to handle the casualties.

The ceasefire had provided some relief to Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to what was left of their homes.

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