Since dawn on Tuesday, renewed Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have resulted in over 400 deaths. The Israeli military has conducted numerous airstrikes on the besieged Palestinian enclave, shattering the ceasefire agreement reached with Hamas in January.
Read Also...:
British bomb disposal expert injured in Gaza
03-21, 2025
Netanyahu fires Israel's security chief over 'distrust'
03-21, 2025
Holocaust survivors denounce UK police for questioning Stephen Kapos
03-21, 2025
Conservative shadow minister falsely claims British imam supported Hamas attack
03-21, 2025However, this is not the first violation of the ceasefire agreement, which aimed to secure the release of Israeli captives in exchange for ending the war on Gaza. Middle East Eye has detailed several ways in which Israel violated this fragile truce before unilaterally resuming hostilities.
The Gaza Government Media Office stated that since the Gaza ceasefire agreement came into effect on January 19 until Tuesday's sudden attacks, Israel had killed 155 Palestinians in sporadic attacks. A recent strike in northern Gaza killed nine people, including aid workers from a British charity and journalists working for the organization. Hamas called the attack an "escalation" and a "deliberate attempt to undermine any chance of completing the implementation of [a ceasefire] agreement."
The Gaza ceasefire agreement was divided into three phases, with the first phase having ended two weeks ago. Israel and Hamas have so far failed to agree on how to proceed to the second phase, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused of refusing to fully withdraw from Gaza, a key component of the second phase. Israel had also previously refused to declare in writing that it would not resume hostilities after the first phase ended. The second phase was supposed to implement measures to make the ceasefire permanent and ensure the release of the remaining 59 Israeli captives, less than half of whom are believed to be alive.
After Hamas refused to extend the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, Israel blocked all humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip on March 2. Mediating countries such as Egypt and Qatar, as well as the United Nations, strongly condemned the blockade, as a key objective of the ceasefire agreement was to increase the flow of much-needed aid to the two million Palestinians residing in the enclave. Qatar stated that Israel was committing a "clear violation of the ceasefire agreement" and international humanitarian law. On March 9, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen ordered the cessation of electricity supply to Gaza, affecting the entire enclave, particularly the seawater desalination plants that produce drinking water for parts of the territory. Hamas condemned the move, calling it part of Israel's "starvation policy."
Reports indicate that the number of aid trucks delivered by Israel has been less than the amount agreed upon in the ceasefire agreement, and that it has sometimes prevented the entry of temporary shelters, tents, and heavy machinery needed to clear rubble. As war appears to have fully resumed, Israel is now facing criticism for its decision to resume deadly operations, with families of Israeli captives stating that the government has abandoned them.
