Israeli forces resumed ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Local health workers reported that airstrikes killed at least 48 Palestinians on the second day of renewed fighting.
The ground operations restarted a day after airstrikes killed more than 400 Palestinians. This was one of the deadliest episodes since the conflict began in October 2023. It also shattered a ceasefire that had largely held since January.
The Israeli military stated its operations expanded Israel’s control over the Netzarim Corridor. This corridor bisects Gaza. They described it as a “focused” manoeuvre. It aimed at creating a partial buffer zone between the north and south of the enclave.
Hamas called the ground operation and the incursion into the Netzarim Corridor a “new and dangerous violation” of the two-month-old ceasefire agreement. In a statement, the group reaffirmed its commitment to the deal. It called on mediators to “assume their responsibilities”.
The United Nations reported that a strike killed a foreign staffer and wounded five workers at a U.N. site in central Gaza City on Wednesday. Gaza’s health ministry attributed the strike to Israel. Israel denied this, saying it hit a Hamas site where it detected preparations for firing into Israeli territory.
Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the U.N. Office for Project Services, said: “Israel knew that this was a U.N. premises, that people were living, staying and working there, it is a compound. It is a very well-known place.”
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a full investigation and condemned all attacks on U.N. personnel. In a statement he said the strike brought to at least 280 the number of U.N. colleagues killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
The foreign ministry in Sofia reported that a Bulgarian working for the U.N. died on Wednesday in Gaza, citing preliminary information.
Israel’s ambassador to Sofia, Yosef Levi Sfari, offered condolences for the Bulgarian citizen’s death. He said in a social media post that the incident was being investigated. He added that an initial examination found “no connection” to Israeli military activity.
Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas and stated on Tuesday that its latest onslaught in Gaza was “just the beginning”.
The U.S. State Department blamed Hamas for the resumption of hostilities. The U.S. State Department said there was still a U.S.-crafted “bridge” proposal on the table. It was meant to extend the ceasefire and bring about the release of hostages held by the group in Gaza.
A State Department spokesperson said: “The opportunity is still there, but it’s closing fast.” The spokesperson added that Hamas’ response was “totally unacceptable”. They said the U.S. stood with Israel.
Local health workers reported that an Israeli airstrike killed four people and wounded 10 others in a house in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. The army renewed evacuation orders to residents there earlier on Wednesday.
Medics said an Israeli airstrike killed 24 people at a mourning tent in Beit Lahiya.
Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaching the truce. The truce offered a respite for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents after 17 months of war. The war reduced the enclave to rubble. It also forced most of its population to evacuate multiple times.
Palestinian health authorities say the Israeli campaign has killed more than 49,000 people in Gaza. The campaign also caused a humanitarian crisis with shortages of food, fuel and water.
Israel has accused Hamas of using Palestinian civilians as human shields. Hamas denies this. Hamas accuses Israel of indiscriminate bombings.
The war was the most devastating episode in decades of Israel-Palestinian conflict. A Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, triggered it. Gunmen killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to resume bombardments has triggered protests in Israel. 59 hostages are still held in Gaza, with 24 of them believed to be still alive.
A coalition of hostage families and Netanyahu critics has regrouped. It accuses the prime minister of using the war for political ends.
Palestinian medics said Israeli tank shelling on the main north-south Salahuddin Road in Gaza killed one Palestinian and wounded others. Medics and witnesses said the Israeli operations there deterred people and vehicles from using the road.
Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua told Reuters the effect of closing the Salahuddin Road was a “total coup” against the three-phase ceasefire agreement. He said it was a tightening of the blockade on Gaza.
He said the group would welcome any proposal “as long as it is based on launching negotiation on the second phase and a complete end to the war in Gaza”.
The Israeli army dropped leaflets in the northern and southern Gaza Strip earlier on Wednesday. The army ordered residents to evacuate their homes once again.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a video statement that if the hostages were not released, “Israel will act with force you have not yet seen”.
Some Western nations condemned the renewed violence. These included France and Germany, as well as Qatar and Egypt. They had been acting as mediators in the ceasefire negotiations. Jordan’s King Abdullah called for the ceasefire to be restored and for aid flows to resume. He said: “Israel’s resumption of attacks on Gaza is an extremely dangerous step.” He said this on a visit to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.
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