Middle East Latest: Hundreds Killed As Israel Launches Airstrikes Across Gaza
HuffPost
Israel has launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, saying it is hitting Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January.
Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was hitting Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the strikes killed at least 200 people. Khalil Degran, a spokesman for the ministry based at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, provided the updated figure on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in ongoing talks to extend the ceasefire. It was not immediately clear if the operation was a one-time pressure tactic or if the 17-month-old war was being resumed altogether.
Hamas warned that Israel’s new airstrikes breached their ceasefire and put the fate of hostages in jeopardy.
___
