Intensified offensive after ceasefire collapse
Israel resumed its aerial bombardment on Tuesday and expanded ground operations on Wednesday, abandoning the truce that had been in place since January. The military said its forces had been conducting a targeted ground operation over the past 24 hours to widen a buffer zone along the Netzarim corridor, which divides Gaza’s northern and southern regions.
Image: Reuters
Israeli authorities ordered residents to avoid Salahuddin road, Gaza’s primary north-south highway, and instead use coastal routes.
Tuesday’s bombardment killed over 400 Palestinians, marking one of the deadliest days of the war. In the past three days, at least 510 people have died, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza health ministry spokesperson Khalil Al-Deqran.
Hamas leadership targeted
Israel’s strikes have also taken aim at top Hamas figures, dealing a blow to the group’s administrative structure in Gaza. Among those killed were Hamas’s acting head of government in Gaza, the chief of security services, his aide, and the deputy head of the Hamas-run justice ministry.
Despite mounting casualties, Hamas has not launched a military response. The group condemned Israel’s expansion into the Netzarim corridor as a “new and dangerous violation” of the ceasefire agreement and urged mediators to intervene.
The initial phase of the ceasefire ended earlier this month, with Hamas seeking negotiations for a second phase that would require Israel to withdraw its forces and engage in a prisoner exchange. Israel, however, has only offered a temporary extension of the truce while continuing its offensive to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages.
UN casualties
The war, which began after Hamas militants attacked Israeli communities in October 2023—killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures—has devastated Gaza. More than 49,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Image: Reuters
Among the recent casualties are five staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), bringing the total number of UNRWA personnel killed since the war began to 284, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said.
“In the past few days, another five UNRWA staff have been confirmed killed, bringing the death toll to 284. They were teachers, doctors, and nurses: serving the most vulnerable,” Lazzarini wrote in a statement on X.
Lazzarini warned that the situation could deteriorate further as Israeli forces continue their bombardment and ground invasion.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned attacks on UN personnel after an airstrike hit two UN guesthouses in Deir al-Balah, killing a United Nations Office for Project Services staff member. His spokesperson said all parties involved in the conflict were aware of the UN’s locations in Gaza.
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First Published: Mar 20, 2025 5:11 pm IS
