Temporary ceasefire ends in Israel – Palestine conflict

On March 18, Israeli forces carried out aerial assaults across the Gaza Strip. The early morning strikes killed upwards of 400 people, with hundreds more injured. Israeli officials explained that the barrage was directed at Hamas targets, defending the action by citing the group’s continued refusal to release additional hostages captured during the October 2023 assault on Israel. Hamas claimed that the airstrikes killed five of its senior officials, who held midranking leadership roles in the Hamas-run government in Gaza.