Israel, which broke a ceasefire that had halted its bombing campaign in Gaza, killed at least 131 people and wounded more than 300 in a series of airstrikes overnight.
According to ABC News, Israel said it would “open the gates of hell to Gaza,” after Hamas failed to release the remaining prisoners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said their forces would now target Hamas directly.
“Tonight we resumed the war in Gaza, after Hamas refused to release the hostages and threatened to harm the Israel Defense Forces,” Katz said. “If Hamas does not release the hostages, the gates of hell will open to Gaza.”
Members of the Gaza Health Ministry confirmed to ABC News that at least 131 Palestinians were killed in the attacks last night, while more than 300 were injured, with the attacks being very heavy.
The attacks targeted towns in Gaza, including Rafah, Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah, Nuseyrat, Al-Bureij, Al-Zaytoun, Al-Karama, and Beit Hanoun. An Israeli official told ABC News that the attacks would continue “as long as necessary” and would be more extensive than airstrikes alone.
The new attacks mean that Israel has officially broken a ceasefire that was in place since the previous attacks, in which Israel killed more than 45,000 Palestinians last year.
