The death toll currently stands at over 400, including many children, and almost 600 people injured, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. That number is expected to rise as more bodies are pulled from the rubble.
The Rafah-Mawas area was shaking violently, the ground was shaking. Everything was reminiscent of the beginning of the war, the type of airstrikes that were very heavy. Israel launched a series of wide-ranging attacks across the Gaza Strip. The death toll currently stands at over 400, including many children, and almost 600 people injured, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. That number is expected to rise as more bodies are pulled from the rubble. Israel said the strikes targeted mid-ranking military commanders, senior officials and the terrorist infrastructure. The Hamas prime minister and several other government officials are among the dead. An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said this morning that Israel had no other choice after Hamas rejected a US-Israeli proposal to extend the ceasefire, which technically ended earlier this month.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to increase military power, while Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that “the gates of hell will remain open in Gaza until all hostages are released.” The administration of US President Donald Trump was consulted by Israel before resuming the attacks, according to the White House.
In southern Gaza, Dr. Mohammed Abu Mukhaiseeb works for the international organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF). He described this morning: “We woke up at 2 a.m. to very heavy airstrikes. The Rafah-Mawasi area was shaking violently, the ground was shaking. It all reminds us of the beginning of the war, the type of airstrikes that were very heavy. We started contacting our teams working at Nasr Hospital. They received about five patients. Among them were three children, a woman and an adult. The types of injuries are really very serious, from limb amputations to complicated orthopedic cases and burns.” In total, the Ministry of Health announced that there were more than 400 casualties overnight throughout the Gaza Strip, from north to south. Hospitals are unable to cope with the large influx of wounded who have arrived at once.
MSF later confirmed that Nasr Hospital alone had received 55 dead and 113 wounded as of Tuesday afternoon. For Palestinians in Gaza, the resumption of this war, which has already killed over 37,000 people, is a nightmare.
The fighting resumes at a time when a complete blockade has prevented the entry of humanitarian aid for 16 days, precisely during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast during the day. Last week, Israel cut off the electricity supply, stopping the operation of desalination plants and affecting the already limited water supply. On Monday, the UK warned for the first time since the start of the conflict that Israel was breaking international law by blocking the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told Parliament: “This is a breach of international law. Israel, rightly, must protect its security. But the ban on aid, now in its 15th day, is unacceptable, deeply alarming and worrying. We call on Israel to return to the number of trucks that were previously entering, well over 600, so that the Palestinians can receive the humanitarian aid they need.”
For many Israelis, the resumption of the war is a nightmare. The Forum of Families of Hostages and Missing Persons declared this morning that “their worst fear has come true.” They accuse the Israeli government of “abandoning the hostages.” Protesters have already begun to gather outside the Israeli parliament. Hamas has warned that Netanyahu is now endangering the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza. The Hamas terrorist group is still holding 24 live hostages, all young men, and 35 bodies of those who were either killed on October 7 and taken to Gaza, or have died in captivity since then. Among the bodies held is that of Tal Haim, who was killed by Hamas while defending his Kibbutz town on October 7, 2023. His body has been held in Gaza ever since. His cousin, Udi Gorin, has spent 60 months demanding the return of his body and all the other hostages.
He says: “Going back to war is a very bad decision that will have huge consequences for both sides. Instead of seeing a full commitment from all sides to reach an agreement, we want to see them go into a room and not come out until they reach an agreement that brings about the return of all hostages and an end to the fighting. The only way to end this disaster is to return all hostages.”
Why is this happening now? According to Henry Bodkin, the New York Times correspondent in Jerusalem, the hostage deal has stalled. Netanyahu refuses to discuss the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza or to accept Hamas as part of a long-term solution. There were also fears that Hamas was reorganizing during the ceasefire. Israeli intelligence has reported suspicious Hamas activity in recent days. On the other hand, there are also issues of domestic politics in Israel. Netanyahu faces great pressure to keep his governing coalition together.
