The Israeli military has started ground operations in Gaza, after it resumed its bombing campaign in the Strip, killing at least 85 Palestinians and injuring dozens on Thursday, reported Reuters citing Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, Hamas’ military wing, Al-Qassam Brigade, said it fired rockets into Israel in response to Israeli strikes which killed civilians in Gaza.
Israeli Ground Operation
On Thursday, the Israeli military said it had begun ground operations in the north of Gaza, along the coastal route in the area of Beit Lahia.
The military said that its troops had been conducting “a targeted ground operation” over the past 24 hours to retake full control over the Netzarim Corridor and expand the buffer zone that divides northern Gaza from the south.
Furthermore, Israel issued orders for citizens to avoid the Salahuddin road, the main north-south route.
Israel’s Resumption of War
This came after Israel had resumed airstrikes on Gaza on Tuesday, followed by ground operations on Wednesday, effectively ending a ceasefire with Hamas which came into force in January 2025.
Tuesday marked one of the deadliest days in the war, with Israeli airstrikes killing 400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The Israeli strikes have targeted many of Hamas’ top leaders, including Hamas-appointed head of the Gaza government, the chief of security services, his aide, and the deputy head of the Hamas-run justice ministry, Reuters reported.
Dangerous Violation
Hamas described the Israeli ground operation and retaking Netzarim Corridor as a “new and dangerous violation” of the ceasefire agreement. The Palestinian group reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire agreement, urging mediators to “assume their responsibilities,” it said in a statement.
Since the first phase of the temporary truce expired on March 1, negotiators have been trying to reach an agreement on a second phase to release the remaining hostages and end the war. The US proposed extending the first phase until mid-April, exchanging more Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
However, both sides disagreed. Hamas has demanded an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel insists it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas’ capabilities and frees all hostages.
Targeting Tel Aviv
On Thursday, the Israeli military said it intercepted one of three rockets launched from Gaza, with the other two falling in open areas. Hamas claimed responsibility, saying it had targeted Tel Aviv, reported the Associated Press (AP).
Moreover, the Israeli military announced earlier that it had intercepted a missile fired by Yemen’s Houthis before it reached Israeli airspace, with no casualties reported.
Devastating War
The war in Gaza broke out after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. The Gaza war has so far claimed the lives of nearly 49,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Furthermore, the devastating war displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population and has caused vast destruction across the enclave. Israel blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza after Hamas’ refusal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory in a recent report accused Israel of carrying out “genocidal acts” and “sexual violence” against the Palestinians during the ongoing war in Gaza.
