At least 342 Palestinians have been killed as Israel launched a massive assault on Gaza, shattering the fragile two-month-old ceasefire with Hamas, reports Al Jazeera.
Those killed in Tuesday’s attack included at least 77 people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza and at least 20 people in Gaza City in the north, medical sources told the media. Israeli strikes also hit locations in central Deir el-Balah and Rafah in the south.
Many of them were children, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the military to take “strong action” against Hamas over its refusal to release captives taken from Israel or agree to offers to extend the ceasefire.
“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
The Israeli military said on Telegram that it was conducting “extensive strikes on terror targets” belonging to Hamas.
Hamas, which governs Gaza, said it viewed Israel’s attacks as a unilateral cancellation of the ceasefire that began on January 19.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
