330 Palestinians killed as Israeli military pummels Gaza

KABUL (Pajhwok): More than 300 Palestinians, including a top Hamas official, have been killed in new Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, shattering a fragile ceasefire, media reports said on Tuesday.

At least 330 people were massacred in the overnight carnage in the enclave, the BBC reported, citing the Hamas-run health ministry.

Mahmoud Abu Wafah, the senior most Hamas security official in Gaza, was among the fatalities. Many civilians, including children, reportedly lost their lives in the attack.

Since the ceasefire began on January 19, it is the largest wave of airstrikes in Gaza, according to the report. Negotiations on extending the truce have yielded no breakthrough yet.

Following the failure of talks, the Israeli military said it was conducting “extensive” strikes in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office warned the Jewish state would “act against Hamas with increasing military strength”.

Hospitals in northern, central and southern Gaza reported casualties. The Civil Defence said a number of people were trapped under the rubble of homes in various areas.

“Tonight we returned to fighting in Gaza,” CNN quoted Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz as saying. He alleged Hamas had refused to extend the ceasefire deal.

The Palestinian group accused Netanyahu and his government of unilaterally overturning the ceasefire agreement and putting the captives in Gaza at risk of an unknown fate.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Israel notified the Trump administration ahead of the strikes on Gaza.

Since the first phase of the ceasefire expired on March 1, Hamas and Israel have been unable to agree on how to move into the second phase.

PAN Monitor/mud