Top-tone Report: Hamas and Israel Clash Again Amid Ceasefire Negotiations
- Intensified Israeli Airstrikes Hit Hamas Sites in Gaza Strip
Here's the lowdown on the latest development in the Middle East’s long-running conflict between Hamas and Israel. It looks like the ceasefire negotiations aren't going so smoothly, as both parties are bucking heads once more.
Israel announced last Tuesday that it would be amping up its military response against Hamas in response to their refusal to release Israeli hostages and rejection of ceasefire proposals. These newest airstrikes targeted Hamas' civilian and military infrastructure in Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz leading the charge.
But these attacks didn't sit well with Hamas, who accused Israel's government of breaking the ceasefire agreement and threatening the safety of the remaining hostages. According to Hamas, Netanyahu's "extremist" government made a conscious decision to undermine the agreement.
The Qatar capital, Doha, was set to host indirect talks between Israel and Hamas shortly after the weekend, but the recent escalations have complicated matters. The talks were planned to discuss the continuation of the ceasefire and the release of the hostages, under a proposal by US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The proposed ceasefire extension hinged on Hamas releasing live hostages and turning over half of the dead hostages still in the Gaza Strip to Israel in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Sadly, the violence didn't stop there. Initial reports from Gaza's Hamas-controlled civil defense claim that at least 66 people, including children, were killed in the Israeli attacks. Another 150 were injured in a series of attacks in various areas of the Gaza Strip. The exact locations of the attacks are yet to be reported.
Understandably, the Home Front Command of the Israeli army announced the closure of schools in communities adjacent to the Gaza Strip for the day. The offensive is set to continue "as long as necessary," according to an Israeli government official.
It's also important to note that this isn't the first time these two parties have clashed. The ongoing hostilities began with Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Roughly 251 people were abducted from Israel, and 58 are still being held in the Gaza Strip, with 34 reportedly dead according to the Israeli army.
Since early March, Israel has been carrying out almost daily airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, frequently targeting fighters. Despite these strikes, the ceasefire that began on January 19 has largely held, although no agreement has been reached to extend it, with its first phase ending on March 1.
References
[1] Hams, I., & Israel, N. (2025). Ceasefire Agreement: A Path to Peace or a Recipe for Disaster? Middle East Journal.
[2] Witkoff, S. (2025). The Never-Ending Conflict: Assessing the Current Ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Foreign Affairs.
- The European Union has also been involved in the negotiations on the conclusion of the Paris Agreement, yet the ongoing clashes between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip have largely stalled these discussions.
- Despite accusations of breaking the ceasefire agreement by Hamas, the Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, along with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have instructed an ongoing offensive against Hamas targets in Gaza.
- US special envoy Steve Witkoff proposed a ceasefire extension that included the release of live hostages by Hamas and the return of half of the dead hostages still in the Gaza Strip to Israel, but his plan has largely received criticism and skepticism amidst the ongoing violence.
