Israel launched a large-scale assault on Gaza early Tuesday, effectively ending a fragile ceasefire that had been in place since January 19.

The renewed strikes, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a response to Hamas’s refusal to release captives, killed more than 300 Palestinians, including women and children, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.

Israeli warplanes and drones struck multiple locations across the besieged enclave, targeting residential buildings, makeshift shelters, and infrastructure. The military said it was conducting “extensive strikes on terror targets” linked to Hamas and warned that the operation would continue with “increasing military strength.”

Hamas, which governs Gaza, accused Israel of unilaterally overturning the ceasefire agreement. “Netanyahu and his extremist government have sabotaged all efforts to maintain the truce, exposing prisoners in Gaza to an uncertain fate,” the group said in a statement.

Heavy bombardment across Gaza

Air strikes were reported in northern Gaza, Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah. Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as families fled their homes, seeking shelter amid the relentless bombardment.

Hospitals, already crippled by months of Israeli air strikes, struggled to cope with the influx of casualties.

“We were frightened. Our children were frightened,” said a resident, Abu Rizq. “Ambulances raced from one street to another, collecting the remains of children and other victims.”

According to Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Deir al-Balah, Israeli drones and fighter jets continued to hover over the territory, targeting densely populated areas where displaced families had taken refuge.

Among those killed was senior Hamas official Mohammad Al-Jmasi, a member of the group’s political office, along with his family members, including his grandchildren, Hamas sources said.

Ceasefire talks collapse

The escalation comes amid a deadlock in negotiations over the second phase of the ceasefire, which had aimed to secure the release of nearly 60 remaining captives in exchange for a longer-term truce. Israel had pushed for an extension of the first phase until mid-April, while Hamas insisted on permanent ceasefire talks and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, have accused Hamas of rejecting multiple proposals for hostage releases, while Hamas maintains that Israel deliberately obstructed negotiations.

Reporting from Amman, Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut said several Israeli analysts and politicians had suggested that the Netanyahu government had always intended to return to full-scale war. “This was the plan all along,” Salhut said. “Israeli military officials have openly stated that 2025 will be a year of war, indicating that their objectives in Gaza remain unfinished.”

International response

The White House confirmed that Israel had consulted US President Donald Trump before launching the strikes. “As President Trump has made clear, Hamas, the Houthis, and Iran—all those who seek to terrorise Israel and the US—will face consequences,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Washington’s backing for Israel’s offensive has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups, who argue that the strikes have disproportionately targeted civilians. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that among the victims were newborn babies and elderly civilians, with many bodies arriving at hospitals in white plastic sheets stained with blood.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group accused Israel of deliberately derailing ceasefire efforts. “Israel has chosen war and escalation over peace,” the group said in a statement.

Humanitarian crisis deepens

With much of Gaza already in ruins following 15 months of bombardment, aid agencies warn that the resumption of hostilities will push the humanitarian crisis to catastrophic levels. Israel had blocked the delivery of humanitarian aid in recent weeks, threatening to resume attacks unless Hamas agreed to release captives.

As Israeli tanks shelled areas in Rafah, families who had returned home during the truce were forced to flee northward to Khan Younis. “People are running for their lives again. There is no safe place left in Gaza,” a local journalist told Reuters.

Mouin Rabbani, a fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, said the current assault could mark the beginning of a larger Israeli campaign. “Israel has consistently rejected the idea of a durable ceasefire and full withdrawal from Gaza,” he said.

The war, which began on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas-led attack on Israeli communities that killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 captives taken into Gaza, has since claimed over 48,000 Palestinian lives, according to health authorities. With both sides blaming each other for violating the truce, the conflict appears far from over.