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The Wall Street Journal quoted an Israeli official as saying that US President Donald Trump gave Israel the green light to resume its attacks on Hamas, after efforts to release the remaining hostages in Gaza failed. According to what was reported this morning by the European news network Euronews in Brussels, according to the official, Israel informed Washington in advance of the resumption of airstrikes on the Strip. This was confirmed by White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt, who told Fox News that Israel had provided advance notice of the attacks.
In more forceful language, Levitt warned Hamas and "enemies of Israel and the United States" in the region that they would "pay a heavy price," adding, "A gate of hell will open," a threat that echoes repeated statements by President Trump regarding the Palestinian issue.
The US administration continues to put intense pressure on Hamas to release all hostages, with Trump repeatedly warning that the movement will face military escalation if it fails to comply and release the remaining prisoners. According to the Wall Street Journal, 59 hostages are still being held in Gaza, and Israel estimates that at least 24 of them are alive. Among them is dual US citizen Idan Alexander, who was serving in the Israeli army when he was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
At dawn on Tuesday, the Israeli military announced in an official statement that, "According to the political echelon, the IDF and the Shin Bet are launching a large-scale attack on Hamas terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip."
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, Kan, quoted Netanyahu's office as saying that the prime minister and defense minister had directly instructed the army to act forcefully against Hamas.
This escalation also comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East after weeks of relative calm. The United States launched three days of airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, while Trump issued a direct threat to Iran on Monday over its support for the group. In a statement posted on Telegram, Hamas held Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government responsible for endangering the lives of the remaining hostages by canceling the ceasefire, which led to renewed fighting in the Strip.
Gaza residents also reported heavy airstrikes on various areas of the Strip throughout the night. Osama Hamid, a resident of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, said he was awakened by nearby explosions. “We were sleeping when we heard several simultaneous airstrikes around us,” Hamid said, adding, “People were screaming everywhere.”
Amid the intense bombardment, Palestinian medical sources reported that more than 350 Palestinians have been killed so far and dozens more injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, after the Netanyahu government announced the resumption of the war on the Strip.