Israel shatters ceasefire and kills hundreds, Netanyahu says it's 'only the beginning'

Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, saying it was hitting Hamas targets in its heaviest assault on the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January. The strikes have killed more than 400 people and wounded hundreds more, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which says over half the dead are women and children.

The Israeli attack could signal the full resumption of war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that all ceasefire negotiations will now take place "under fire."

Hamas — which has yet to respond militarily — warned that Israel's bombardments are jeopardizing the roughly two dozen Israeli hostages still alive in Hamas captivity. The Palestinian militant group has spent weeks calling for serious talks on the ceasefire agreement's second phase.

Both Israel and the United States blame the renewed hostilities on Hamas' refusal to release more hostages before negotiations on ending the war proceed — which was not part of the ceasefire agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is backing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's decision to unilaterally walk away from the ceasefire Trump took credit for brokering.

Wounded streamed into Gaza hospitals

Dr. Feroze Sidhwa is a U.S. trauma surgeon currently volunteering with MedGlobal at Nasser Hospital. "Half of the patients I saw in the ER — and half of those I operated on — were children," he said.

"Probably at least one-third of them will go on to die, despite us being able to take care of them properly," he said, "simply because we don't have the facilities and supplies that we need."

Patients lay on the floor, some screaming, inside the hospital in Khan Younis. A young girl cried as her bloody arm was bandaged.

Wounded children had overwhelmed the pediatric ward, said Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan, a volunteer with the group Medical Aid for Palestinians.

She said she helped treat a 6-year-old girl with internal bleeding. When they pulled away the girl's curly hair, they realized shrapnel had penetrated the left side of her brain, leaving her paralyzed on her right side.

The child was brought in with no ID and "we don't know if her family survived," Haj-Hassan said.

Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 263 of the 404 people killed Tuesday were women or children under 18. Israel blames Hamas for civilian casualties, saying militants operate among the population.

The Israeli military dismisses a reservist who refused to report to duty in protest of war's resumption

The air force reservist, Alon Gur, wrote in a post shared by Israeli media that he had been an active reservist for the past 16 years, but "this morning I cracked."

He said that after Israel resumed its military assault on Gaza he told his supervisor that "a line was crossed." He cited, among other factors, his belief that the move is politically motivated, and said the government was "again abandoning its citizens knowingly and in broad daylight"

The Israeli military confirmed that Gur's reserve service was permanently terminated after his statement.

Released hostages and Israeli demonstrators call on the government to resume negotiations

Thousands of Israelis packed a Tel Aviv square to protest Netanyahu's intention to fire the country's domestic security chief and to call on the government to resume negotiations for a hostage deal.

The Shin Bet security chief, Ronen Bar, has been a key player in ceasefire talks but was recently replaced by a Netanyahu confidant. Netanyahu now wants to fire Bar, saying he has lost trust in him.

Demonstrators say the dismissal is a power grab by Netanyahu. Many also said the resumption of fighting in Gaza endangers the hostages still held there.

"Today Netanyahu did not open the gates of hell on Hamas. He opened the gates of hell on our loved ones!" said Einav Zangauker, whose son is among the hostages.

Freed Israeli hostages say they're horrified the war has resumed

In a nearby square, three former hostages expressed "horror" at the collapse of the ceasefire and urged the Israeli government to return to the negotiating table.

Israeli-American former hostage Keith Siegel said his Hamas captors became violent after the first ceasefire collapsed in November 2023 and fighting resumed.

"Today, a year and four months later, the ceasefire has collapsed again. I think of the 59 hostages still being held in Gaza. How afraid they are, not only of the terrorists' cruelty and of Israeli attacks, but also of the collapse of the negotiations that will prevent their return home."

Israel's Netanyahu says Gaza airstrikes are 'only the beginning' of a prolonged campaign

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says all ceasefire negotiations will take place "under fire."

Ina recorded statement broadcast on national television, Netanyahu said Israel would press ahead until it realizes all of its war goals -- destroying Hamas and freeing all hostages held by the militant group.

"The previous releases proved that military pressure is a necessary condition for freeing hostages," he said.