Israel has initiated a fresh wave of airstrikes in Gaza on the second day of its resumed assault in the war-torn Palestinian territory. The attacks were significantly less intense compared to the massive strikes early Tuesday morning, which resulted in over 400 fatalities and shattered the relative calm that had prevailed since a January 19 ceasefire temporarily halted the 18-month conflict. Three individuals lost their lives in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Sabra suburb of Gaza City, while another airstrike in the northern town of Beit Hanoun claimed two lives and injured six others, according to health officials in Gaza. Mahmud Bassal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense agency, reported a higher death toll, stating that 13 people have been killed since midnight, with several casualties in the southern city of Khan Younis. There were also reports of an Israeli drone targeting fishing boats off the coast of Gaza City. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the new strikes were aimed at “terrorist” targets, including a Hamas military site in northern Gaza where preparations were allegedly being made to fire projectiles, and vessels in the coastal area of the Gaza Strip. The IDF issued evacuation orders on Wednesday, advising residents in a wide swath of northern Gaza to move to the south and west to avoid “dangerous combat zones,” suggesting potential plans for ground operations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned late on Tuesday that the strikes marked “only the beginning” and future talks with Hamas would “only take place under fire.” Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the truce that had largely held since January, offering respite to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. Approxiamately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, died in the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war, while the Israeli response in Gaza has claimed over 49,000 lives, also predominantly civilians. The renewal of attacks by Israel comes after Hamas allegedly rejected proposals for a 30- to 60-day extension of the first phase of the three-phase ceasefire deal that took effect in January but expired recently. The second phase of the ceasefire deal, which is meant to lead to a permanent end to hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the return of all hostages, has been refused by Israel, which has also reinstated a strict blockade on the territory and cut off remaining electricity supplies. Proponents of the ceasefire have accused Israel of resuming the attacks to bolster its coalition government before a crucial budget vote in parliament, to garner support for the war amidst public backing for a ceasefire, and to preempt widespread public outrage over Netanyahu’s attempt to oust the head of the internal security service, Shin Bet. The Israeli government has reportedly approved the reappointment of the far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir as national security minister, who had left the government in protest of the January ceasefire agreement. Analysts have suggested that Israel launched the strikes to break a stalemate, with Professor Danny Orbach from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem noting that entering phase two of the ceasefire agreement would mean allowing Hamas to remain in power and Israel to lift its siege on Gaza – a scenario deemed incompatible with Israel’s interests. Air raid sirens sounded in parts of southern Israel on Wednesday night following the detection of a missile launch from Yemen, which was successfully intercepted by Israel’s air defense system. The Yemen-based Houthis have been targeting Israel and international shipping in the Red Sea since the start of the conflict, prompting the US to conduct extensive airstrikes against the Iran-backed militia in recent days.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/19/israel-launches-gaza-airstrikes-on-second-day-of-resumed-offensive