Israel Breaks Peace Accord, Launches Attack on Hamas in Gaza Strip
Release time:2025-03-19
Benjamin Netanyahu's office reported that this attack was a "crackdown" against Hamas.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) resumed attacks on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday in what constitutes the breakdown of the truce with the Islamist group Hamas, which began on January 19.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement that it has been ordered to take "strong measures against the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip" because of the group's repeated refusal to release the hostages still in its possession.
The note also indicates as a reason for the breakdown of the ceasefire that Hamas "rejected all offers it received from US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and mediators" to extend the first phase of the ceasefire, which ended two weeks ago without an agreement for its continuation.
"The IDF is currently attacking targets of the Hamas terrorist organization throughout the Gaza Strip to achieve the goals of the war, determined by the political leadership, including the release of all our hostages, both living and dead," the statement from the Prime Minister's Office noted.
"From now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing military force," the note adds, indicating that the "operational plan" to return to war "was presented last weekend by the IDF and was approved by the political leadership."
The news comes after Netanyahu announced a trip to Cairo by a delegation to continue negotiating the ceasefire with Hamas.
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