Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Photo: | Image- Screengrab/Netanyahu X
After killing over 400 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip in airstrikes by Israel on early Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas that "It's only the beginning". Meanwhile, 14 Palestinians were killed in fresh Israeli attacks on Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported.
The Israeli attacks that launched on Tuesday have killed more than 400 people, most of them children.
Netanyahu Warns Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the new bombing was "only the beginning" and that all negotiations for a nearly two-month-long ceasefire in Gaza would now be "under attack", reported Al Jazeera.
"From now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing force. And from now on, negotiations will only take place under fire," he said.
"Hamas is responsible for this war. It invaded our towns, murdered our people, raped our women and kidnapped our loved ones. Israel does not target Palestinian civilians. We target Hamas terrorists," he added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening:
“Hamas is responsible for this war.
It invaded our towns, murdered our people, raped our women and kidnapped our loved ones.
Hamas refused offer after offer to release our hostages.https://t.co/9uFyUkWvhy pic.twitter.com/NFOFtfjpJB
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) March 18, 2025
UN Condemns The Bombardment
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters in Geneva that the UN Security Council discussed Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.
He said, "We are again witnessing an "intolerable level of suffering for the Palestinian people."
About Ceasefire Deal
Israel and Hamas implemented a ceasefire on January 19, 2025. The ceasefire agreement, confirmed by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, states that the ceasefire will be implemented in three phases of six weeks each.
The first phase began on January 19, 2025, with the release of live Israeli hostages and soldiers in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Moreover, with the ceasefire coming into effect, humanitarian aid is highly expected to be sent to the Gaza Strip.
According to the statement made by former US President Joe Biden, whose ceasefire draft was accepted, Phase 1 will focus on the release of hostages and aid to Gaza.
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In the meantime, Israel, Hamas, and the mediating countries will focus on the details of Phase 2.
However, the official statement from the White House archives states that if the negotiations for the second phase go beyond six weeks, the ceasefire must remain in place.
"There are many details to be negotiated to move from phase one to phase two, but the plan says that if the negotiations take longer than six weeks, the ceasefire will remain in place as long as the negotiations continue," Biden said.
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The day after the first phase came into effect, Donald Trump was sworn in as the President of the United States, and since then, Trump has been extremely vocal about Israel "finishing the job" in Gaza, referring to eliminating Hamas.