International

Over 130 K!lled as Israel Launches Deadly Airstrikes on Gaza

Published

1 month ago

Mar 18, 2025.

Dennis

Israel has launched its largest airstrike campaign on Gaza since January’s ceasefire, killing at least 130 Palestinians, including top Hamas official Mahmoud Abu Wafah.
The strikes follow Hamas’s refusal to release Israeli hostages or accept ceasefire extension proposals from U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and other mediators.
Hamas accuses Israel of treachery for breaking the truce and calls for urgent international intervention, while Israel vows to escalate military operations.

The Israeli military has launched a major wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, with at least 130 Palestinians reported killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the strikes targeted “terror infrastructure” belonging to Hamas, in what marks the heaviest bombardment since a ceasefire began on January 19.

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Among those reportedly killed was Mahmoud Abu Wafah, Gaza’s deputy interior minister and the highest-ranking Hamas security official in the enclave.

The strikes began early Tuesday as many Palestinians were observing their pre-dawn Ramadan meal. Witnesses said more than 20 Israeli warplanes flew over Gaza, hitting targets in Gaza City, Rafah, and Khan Younis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the strikes, citing Hamas’s repeated refusal to release Israeli hostages and its rejection of all ceasefire proposals from U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and other mediators. A statement from Netanyahu’s office declared that Israel will now act against Hamas “with increasing military strength.”

Hamas condemned the strikes as a “treacherous” violation of the ceasefire and accused Israel of endangering the remaining hostages in Gaza. While Hamas has not officially resumed combat, it has called on the United Nations and international mediators to intervene.

A U.S. White House spokesperson confirmed to Fox News that Israel consulted with President Donald Trump’s administration before launching the strikes.

Efforts to extend the truce have failed. U.S. officials proposed a deal to continue the ceasefire until mid-April, involving further exchanges of hostages and prisoners, but key disagreements between Israel and Hamas stalled progress.