Israel says it is striking Hamas targets in Gaza and will intensify military force

Israel’s military early Tuesday said it was “conducting extensive strikes” against Hamas targets in Gaza, further straining an increasingly fragile ceasefire between Israel and the militant group.

The Israel Defense Forces were striking Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip, “with the aim of achieving the war goals as determined by the political echelon, including the release of all our hostages — living and dead,” the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

“From now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing military force,” it said.

Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal said dozens of people have been killed and wounded, and that there have been more than 35 attacks on homes.

“Our crews are unable to deal with the attacks due to limited resources and the dangerous situation,” Basal said. “We call on the world to stop this aggression.”

The latest Israeli military action follows separate Israeli strikes that, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, killed at least 14 people in 24 hours over the weekend. The ministry reported the deaths in a statement Sunday.

The IDF said in a statement Saturday that it had identified two Hamas operatives “operating a drone that posed a threat to IDF troops” and saw others collecting drone-operating equipment.

A ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and Hamas in January, the Biden administration announced at the time. There have been accusations of breaches by both sides since then.

The first phase of the deal — which included the release of hostages held by Hamas following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel — expired this month. The second phase, designed for the release of male hostages, is intended to initiate talks for a long-term end to the war.

Netanyahu’s office in Tuesday’s statement said that Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz instructed the military “to act forcefully against the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip.”

“This, after Hamas repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the US presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators,” Netanyahu’s office said.