Jerusalem: Israel's military announced on Tuesday that it was carrying out "extensive strikes" on the Gaza Strip, as ceasefire negotiations have stalled. Gaza's civil defence agency said the death toll from the massive operation Israel launched on Tuesday has risen to 121 people, mostly women, children and the elderly.
"Over 121 martyrs, most of them children, women, and the elderly, are the initial toll of the aggression," said agency spokesman Mahmud Basal.
In a post on Telegram, the Israeli army said it was currently "conducting extensive strikes on terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip," adding that further details would follow.
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An Israeli official told AFP that the extensive operation was targeting Hamas leadership and infrastructure and would last "as long as necessary".
The Israeli military "has launched a series of pre-emptive strikes targeting mid-ranking military commanders, leadership officials and terrorist infrastructure belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation," the official, who declined to be named, said, adding that the operation "will continue as long as necessary, and will expand beyond air strikes".
Meanwhile, Hamas accused Israel of violating their ceasefire agreement with extensive strikes on the Gaza Strip.
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In a statement, Hamas said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Netanyahu and his extremist government have decided to overturn the ceasefire agreement, exposing the prisoners in Gaza to an unknown fate".
The White House said that Israel consulted with US President Donald Trump's administration before launching its overnight wave of strikes in Gaza.
"The Trump administration and the White House were consulted by the Israelis on their attacks in Gaza tonight," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News' "Hannity" program.
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"As President Trump has made it clear, Hamas, the Huthis, Iran, all those who seek to terrorize not just Israel, but also the United States of America, will see a price to pay -- all hell will break loose," she said in the televised interview.