Hamas Head Of Govt In Gaza Among Senior Members Killed In Israeli Strike As Ceasefire Collapses, Over 400 Dead

<p>Hamas on Tuesday announced that several of its top officials, including Essam al-Dalis, the head of its government in the Gaza Strip, were killed in a wave of Israeli airstrikes. The statement from Hamas listed Dalis among those targeted, along with Mahmud Abu Watfa, the head of the interior ministry, and Bahjat Abu Sultan, director-general of the internal security service.</p>
<p>&ldquo;These leaders, along with their families, were martyred after being directly targeted by the Zionist occupation forces&rsquo; aircraft,&rdquo; Hamas said in a statement, as reported by news agency AFP.</p>
<p>Dalis, a member of Hamas&rsquo;s political bureau in Gaza, was elected to its leadership in March 2021 and assumed charge of its administration in June that year. Israel had previously claimed to have targeted a Hamas facility in November 2023, where Dalis was allegedly present along with other leaders.</p>
<p>Two Hamas sources told AFP that Abu Watfa was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City. The latest attacks mark the most intense Israeli bombardment since a ceasefire was reached in January.</p>
<p>According to Palestinian hospital officials cited by news agency AP, at least 413 people, including women and children, were killed in the strikes. The attacks, which began early Tuesday, have raised fears of a full-scale resumption of the 17-month-old war that has already claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives.</p>
<h3><strong>Ceasefire Shattered After Hamas Refused Israeli Proposal</strong></h3>
<p>As per an AP report, the ceasefire, agreed upon in mid-January, followed a three-phase plan mediated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar. The first phase, which ended two weeks ago, saw Hamas releasing 25 hostages in exchange for the freedom of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, Israel hesitated to engage in further negotiations for the second phase, which was expected to result in a long-term ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the return of remaining hostages.</p>
<p>Despite the truce being in place, Israeli forces continued targeting individuals suspected of entering unauthorised areas or engaging in militant activities, AP reported. The situation escalated further when Israel cut off all humanitarian aid to Gaza two weeks ago, pressuring Hamas to accept a new proposal. The proposal demanded the release of half of Hamas&rsquo;s remaining hostages in exchange for an extension of the ceasefire, but did not include provisions for releasing additional Palestinian prisoners, a key element of the original agreement. Hamas rejected the proposal, accusing Israel of attempting to sabotage the existing deal.</p>
<h3><strong>Israeli PMO On Gaza Strikes: &lsquo;Will Act Against Hamas With Increasing Military Strength&rsquo;</strong></h3>
<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office defended the decision to launch the strikes, stating that Israel &ldquo;will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength.&rdquo; His office maintained that the action was necessary following Hamas&rsquo;s refusal to alter the ceasefire agreement, AFP reported.</p>
<p>The White House confirmed that it had been consulted on the operation and expressed its support for Israel&rsquo;s actions, as per AP.</p>
<p>Hamas, on the other hand, accused Washington of bearing responsibility for the deadly airstrikes. &ldquo;With its unlimited political and military support for the occupation (Israel), Washington bears full responsibility for the massacres and the killing of women and children in Gaza,&rdquo; Hamas said in a statement, as quoted by AFP.</p>
<p>Domestically, Netanyahu faces growing dissent over his handling of the hostage crisis and his decision to dismiss the head of Israel&rsquo;s internal security agency. The Hostages Families Forum, a group representing the families of those still held in Gaza, criticised the government&rsquo;s actions, stating, &ldquo;We are shocked, angry, and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas,&rdquo; AP reported.</p>
<p>Political analysts cited by AP suggest that the renewed conflict could help Netanyahu consolidate support among hard-line allies who have opposed any deal with Hamas that falls short of its complete destruction. The prime minister is also under pressure to pass a budget by the end of the month to prevent his government from collapsing, potentially triggering early elections.</p>
<h3><strong>Renewed Israeli Strikes In Gaza Could Destabilise Region</strong></h3>
<p>The escalation has raised concerns of a wider regional conflict. Yemen&rsquo;s Iran-backed Houthi rebels condemned the Israeli strikes, warning that &ldquo;the Palestinian people will not be left alone in this battle,&rdquo; a statement that hints at potential resumption of Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.</p>
<p>In response, the United States recently carried out airstrikes targeting Houthi positions in Yemen, killing at least 53 people, according to AP. U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran against further involvement, stating that it would &ldquo;suffer the consequences&rdquo; if it continued to back the Houthis&rsquo; operations.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, fears are growing that the renewed violence in Gaza could destabilise the ceasefire Israel reached with Hezbollah in November, which halted months of cross-border hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon border.</p>