The Israel Defense Forces announced on Monday night that it has resumed extensive airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza.
The strikes are the most significant IDF strikes on Gaza since the beginning of the ceasefire on January 17 and come after Hamas failed to agree to proposals to extend the ceasefire.
The prime minister’s office released a statement:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have instructed the IDF to take strong action against the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. This follows Hamas’s repeated refusal to release our hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals it has received from US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and from the mediators. The IDF is, at this time, attacking targets of the Hamas terrorist organization throughout the Gaza Strip in order to achieve the objectives of the war as they have been determined by the political echelon including the release of all of our hostages, the living and the deceased. Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength. The operational plan was presented by the IDF over the weekend and approved by the political leadership.
A later statement added that the Israeli civilian communities near the Gaza Strip would enter “limited activity” defensive guidelines, which is a heightened level of security that will not allow for education activity.
Earlier on Monday, the IDF struck two terrorists who were attempting to plant an explosive device near IDF troops in central Gaza.
The IDF also struck targets in Syria, including command centers and military sites containing weapons and military vehicles belonging to the deposed regime of Bashar Al-Assad.
“The presence of military assets in southern Syria poses a threat to the State of Israel,” the IDF said in a statement. “The IDF will not allow the presence of military threats in southern Syria and will operate against it.”
Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon were also targeted by the IDF on Monday.
