Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza and pressed its ground operations on Thursday, escalating the conflict after issuing what it called a "last warning" for Palestinians to return hostages and remove Hamas from power. Image: BBC News.
(The Post News)– Israel restarted bombing Gaza and advanced on the ground on Thursday, escalating the war after it gave what it called a “last warning” to the Palestinians to return hostages and remove Hamas from power. The offensive shattered a delicate peace that had held since a ceasefire went into effect in mid-January.
The Israeli bombing campaign, which began early on Tuesday, has already left more than 400 people dead, Gaza’s health ministry reported, as rescuers searched for bodies buried in the rubble. Another 10 were killed in an early-morning bombing Thursday morning outside Khan Yunis.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) reopened ground operations within the southern and central Gaza Strip on Wednesday as part of a bid to lengthen Israel’s security fence and create a partial buffer zone between the south and north of the enclave. The temporary ceasefire had expired, and civilians were once again to witness the war atrocities.
In a recorded address to the people of Gaza, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued an unmistakable threat: “This is the final warning. Free the hostages and topple Hamas. If you do, other options will be on the table, including the option of departure for those who wish to,” he stated.
The hostages referred to in Katz’s statement are the 251 hostages Hamas captured on October 7, 2023, during their attack on Israel, 58 of whom remain hostages, with 34 reported dead by the Israeli army. Hamas declined Israeli suggestions to restart talks over the terms of a ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.
Hamas leaders would negotiate but are not willing to have the initial terms changed. Taher al-Nunu, a top Hamas official, told AFP that Hamas did not exclude negotiations but upheld that they were not in need of new treaties.
With mounting foreign pressure to announce a truce, Israel has resisted calls by foreign powers to expand the ceasefire, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proclaiming that upcoming negotiations would now be conducted “under fire.”
The bloodshed has led to mounting fatalities, with Gaza hospitals packed. One UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) worker was killed, and at least five others were wounded in an attack on a UN compound in Deir el-Balah. The attack was denounced by UNOPS Chief Jorge Moreira da Silva as a breach of international law, with the UN saying it had documented more than 280 staff members who were killed throughout the war.
Thousands of protesters in Jerusalem protested, demanding Prime Minister Netanyahu prioritise the return of the hostages. Reopening strikes were condemned by some Israelis as evidence of the ongoing hostage situation.
As the conflict rages on, the humanitarian cost in terms of human life in Gaza is rising, with over 48,500 Palestinians dead since the conflict began, the Gaza health ministry said. The heavy shelling is burying families and children beneath the rubble as rescue crews wrestle to recover the bodies.
Israel’s military offensive is being escalated in a bid to bring Hamas to its knees on its terms for a truce. But with fighting continuing and no apparent way to peace, the future of Gaza hangs in the balance, and the suffering of the region continues to worsen.
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