### Gaza Hit with Heavy Airstrikes as Ceasefire Collapses
Early Tuesday, Israel launched intense airstrikes on Gaza, killing over 320 people and injuring hundreds more, according to Gaza health officials. The attack comes after a nearly two-month ceasefire and has raised fears that full-scale war is resuming.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strikes targeted Hamas leaders, accusing the group of refusing to release more hostages taken in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. “If Hamas does not release all the hostages, the gates of hell will open in Gaza,” Katz warned.
### Hamas Leaders Killed, Families Devastated
Hamas confirmed that four senior officials were among those killed, along with their families. In Gaza City, the Al-Ahli Hospital was overwhelmed with casualties. One father was seen holding the body of his two-year-old daughter, trying to open her eyes.
“We never expected the war to return,” said Ibrahim Deeb, who lost 35 family members in a single airstrike.
Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deliberately ending the ceasefire, putting Israeli hostages in Gaza at further risk. Meanwhile, families of those hostages protested in Jerusalem, demanding Netanyahu do more to bring them home.
### Israel Planned the Strikes in Advance
The Israeli government confirmed it had approved the strikes last weekend. A senior Israeli official said the military is focusing on mid-ranking Hamas commanders and leadership figures, aiming to weaken the group’s ability to rebuild.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration was briefed before the strikes. “As President Trump has made it clear, those who terrorize Israel and the U.S. will face consequences,” she said.
### Ceasefire Talks Were Still Ongoing
Despite the escalating violence, mediators had still been working on a new ceasefire. Israel and Hamas had agreed to a temporary truce in January, during which 33 hostages were freed in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, the second phase of talks stalled when Israel demanded more hostages be released before discussing an end to the war.
To pressure Hamas, Israel has blocked food, fuel, and medical supplies from entering Gaza for the past three weeks.
### Families Struggle to Cope
In northern Gaza, residents scrambled to recover bodies from the rubble. At Al-Ahli Hospital, dozens of bodies, including children, were laid out in the courtyard as families grieved.
Suleiman Graiga, a Gaza resident, said he was asleep when an airstrike hit the house next door, killing more than a dozen relatives. “I thought the ceasefire would last, that things would get better,” he said. “Now my family is gone.”
As the conflict escalates, many in Gaza fear the worst is yet to come.
