Israel launched a series of airstrikes across Gaza early Tuesday, killing at least 200 people and breaking a fragile ceasefire that had been in place since January. The attacks targeted multiple areas, including Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah, making it the most intense bombardment since the truce began. According to Palestinian health officials, many of the victims were children, as the strikes hit residential neighbourhoods where thousands of displaced people had sought shelter.

As the strikes took place, a White House spokesperson confirmed that Israel had consulted the Trump administration before launching the attacks. Speaking on Fox News' "Hannity" show, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, "The Trump administration and the White House were consulted by the Israelis on their attacks in Gaza tonight." She further mentioned that President Donald Trump had issued a warning to Hamas and other groups, including Iran-backed Houthis, cautioning them that they would "see a price to pay" for engaging in acts of terrorism. The strikes followed weeks of unsuccessful negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding the remaining 59 hostages still held in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office blamed Hamas for "repeated refusal to release our hostages," despite mediation efforts led by Egypt and Qatar, with the backing of the United States.

A Hamas official accused Israel of unilaterally breaking the ceasefire and warned that the situation could escalate further. The truce brokered on January 19 facilitated the release of 33 Israeli and five Thai hostages in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

However, tensions rose as Israel accused Hamas of delaying negotiations and restricted aid deliveries to Gaza as leverage. Hamas, meanwhile, maintained that any agreement must guarantee a complete end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, conditions that Israel refused to accept.

On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes targeted what the military described as mid-level Hamas commanders and infrastructure. However, Palestinian medics and witnesses reported extensive destruction in civilian areas, including a building in Gaza City and homes in Deir al-Balah. The full extent of the damage is still emerging, but the Palestinian Health Ministry has warned that Gaza’s already struggling hospital system is overwhelmed with casualties. This latest escalation comes after 15 months of war, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli border towns, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli officials. In a comeback, Israel undertook a prolonged military offensive that has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. The conflict has devastated much of Gaza’s infrastructure and displaced nearly its entire population of 2.3 million people.