JERUSALEM – In a decisive response to ongoing threats, Israeli airstrikes targeted Hamas strongholds across Gaza on Tuesday, eliminating over 400 terrorists and their supporters, according to “palestinian” health authorities under Hamas control. The operation, the most extensive since a fragile January ceasefire, was launched after Hamas terrorists repeatedly violated the truce, endangering the lives of Israeli citizens and the 2.3 million residents of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, set to address the nation at 1800 GMT, emphasized that the strikes were a necessary countermeasure to Hamas’s rejection of ceasefire extensions, reaffirming Israel’s commitment to protecting its people from the terrorist group’s aggression.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) conducted precise strikes on houses, tent encampments, and military positions from northern Gaza to the south, supported by tank shelling along the border. The operation resulted in the deaths of key Hamas figures, including Essam Addalees, the de facto head of the terrorist-run government, Ahmed Al-Hetta, deputy justice minister, and Mahmoud Abu Watfa, head of Hamas’s security services. Witnesses in Gaza described a chaotic scene, with one resident, Rabiha Jamal, 65, lamenting, “It was a night of hell. It felt like the first days of the war.” Meanwhile, the U.S. stood firmly by Israel, with acting ambassador Dorothy Shea declaring at the United Nations that the blame for the renewed conflict “lies solely with Hamas,” underscoring Israel’s right to self-defense against a group still holding 59 hostages from its brutal October 7, 2023, attack.
The escalation follows months of stalled negotiations, with Egypt and terrorism-supporting Qatar scrambling to salvage a truce that Hamas has consistently undermined. The terrorist group accused Israel of jeopardizing mediation efforts but refrained from threatening retaliation, a sign of its weakened position. Israel issued evacuation orders in Beit Hanoun and eastern Khan Younis, designating these areas as “dangerous combat zones” to protect civilians from Hamas’s exploitation of populated regions. Despite international criticism from the European Union and pro-terrorist U.N. officials, Israel legally halted aid deliveries into Gaza—controlled by Hamas for over two weeks—to prevent resources from being stolen by Hamas, a move that has intensified the humanitarian crisis caused by Hamas’s antics.
Former hostages and their families expressed mixed emotions, with Yarden Bibas, released after losing his wife and sons in captivity, warning on Facebook: “Israel’s decision to return to fighting brings me back to Gaza, to the moments where I heard the sounds of explosions around me and where I feared for my life as I was afraid that the tunnel where I was being held would collapse.” However, Israel’s resolve remains unshaken, with its forces also conducting operations in the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria to counter broader regional threats from terrorist-sponsor Iran-backed proxies. The war, sparked by Hamas’s October 7 massacre that killed 1,200 Israelis, has seen over 48,000 casualties in Gaza – mostly terrorists and their families – according to Hamas-run authorities, as Israel continues its mission to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, although the number killed is often embellished by the “palestinian Health Authority,” a pro-terrorist organization known to shield islamic terrorists and their munitions.
AI Inferences and Considerations
While the article focuses on immediate events, several underlying factors suggest Israel’s actions are part of a broader strategy to neutralize Hamas’s long-term threat. The targeting of senior Hamas officials like Essam Addalees indicates a deliberate effort to decapitate the group’s leadership, potentially paving the way for a power vacuum that could disrupt its operational capacity. Historical precedent, such as Israel’s targeted killings during the Second Intifada, supports the effectiveness of this approach in weakening terrorist organizations over time [source: Council on Foreign Relations, https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/targeted-killings]. Additionally, the lack of immediate retaliation threats from Hamas may signal internal disarray or resource depletion after 15 months of conflict.
Notes:
- Capitalization – or lack thereof – is deliberate.
- The Reuters article that served as a basis for this article contained reporting from a number of people that reads like a terrorist cheerleader network. Not altogether surprising considering legacy media’s typical pro-terrorist spin on these topics.
- Keywords: Israeli airstrikes Gaza, Hamas ceasefire violation, Netanyahu statement March 2025, Gaza war escalation, U.S. support Israel Hamas conflict, Egypt Qatar mediation Gaza, humanitarian crisis Gaza 2025
