Israel Pounds Hamas In Gaza In Strikes That Rescuers Say Killed 121

Mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, the initial phase of the ceasefire took effect on January 19, largely halting more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza triggered by Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel (Credit: AFP)

Israel on Tuesday unleashed its most intense campaign on the Gaza Strip since a January ceasefire, with rescuers reporting more than 121 people killed, prompting Hamas to accuse Benjamin Netanyahu's government of torpedoing the truce.

The strikes were ordered after "Hamas's repeated refusal to release our hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals it has received from US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and from the mediators," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.