The fragile ceasefire in Gaza ended on Tuesday local time as Israel launched a massive wave of airstrikes against Hamas across the strip.
The ceasefire agreement had been signed two months ago, pausing the bloodiest war fought by Israel since its independence in 1948. The Israel Defense Forces announced the strikes in a post on Telegram.
“In accordance with the political echelon, the IDF and ISA are currently conducting extensive strikes on terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip,” it read.
A Hamas spokesman told Reuters that Israel had unilaterally ended the ceasefire.
The Trump administration had been working to extend the ceasefire, which was put on fragile ground after each side accused the other of violating its terms. Trump administration officials presented both sides with a final proposal in Doha, Qatar, last week, according to Axios, but failed to reach a breakthrough.
The outlet reported that the Trump administration was notified and briefed on the Tuesday strikes well before they occurred.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ceasefire ended “after Hamas refused time and again to release our hostages and rejected all the proposals it has been given by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and by the Qatari and Egyptian mediators.”
Videos of the strikes emerged on social media.
BREAKING: CEASEFIRE IS OVER! IDF JETS ARE CURRENTLY POUNDING HAMAS TERROR TARGETS ACROSS GAZA. Netanyahu says this is after Hamas rejected all proposals by Steve Witkoff and President Trump. pic.twitter.com/sG9QVzXwgr
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 18, 2025
TRUMP INDICATES CHANGE OF HEART FOR PLANS TO RELOCATE PALESTINIANS OUT OF GAZA
Israeli officials warned of further military action if the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas weren’t released immediately.
“If Hamas does not release all the hostages, the gates of Hell will open in Gaza, and the murderers and rapists of Hamas will meet the IDF with forces they have never known before,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said.