Unlock the White House Watch watch newsletter for free
Your guide on what the US elections of 2024 mean for Washington and Le Monde
Israel launched “in-depth strikes” in Gaza, claiming that he had targets from Hamas in what seemed to be the most intense assault on the enclave since a cease-fire entered into force in January.
Gaza health authorities said 131 people had been killed in air strikes, which, according to the office of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, were launched in response to the “repeated refusal of the Palestinian militant group to release the ceasefire” and to the rejection of mediators’ proposals in talks to extend the ceasefire.
“Israel will now act against Hamas with increasing military force,” said Netanyahu’s office in an article on the social media platform X.
Israeli attacks occurred in the middle of a renewed tensions in the region, especially US military strikes against Houthi targets In Yemen ordered by President Donald Trump in recent days.
The Trump administration said it was consulted by Israel before the Gaza strikes.
“As President Trump said, Hamas, Houthis, Iran, all those who seek to terrorize not only Israel but also the United States of America will see a price to pay,” the white house press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News.
THE First stage of the ceasefire Between Israel and Hamas, which involved the return of Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for the liberation of Israel from Palestinian prisoners, ended on March 1.
International mediators, including the United States, tried to extend the truce and guarantee the release of the remaining hostages held by the militant group.
“Hamas could have released hostages to prolong the ceasefire, but rather chose refusal and war,” said Brian Hughes, spokesperson for the US National Security Council.
Steve Witkoff, the Middle East envoy of Trump, told CBS on Sunday that “the recent experience we had with Hamas’ response was not encouraging”.
He added: “We put a very sensitive proposal on the table which was intended for a bridge to go to a final discussion and a final resolution which would have incorporated a kind of demilitarization of Hamas.”
On March 2, Israel interrupted all assistance shipments in Gaza and threatened to cut the supply of water and electricity from the territory.
Trump warned Hamas at the beginning of the month that “it’s over for you” unless the group publishes the remaining hostages, adding that he “sent Israel everything he needs to finish work”.
“Not a single member of Hamas will be safe,” wrote Trump on his social platform Truth. “It’s your latest warning!” He added. “Release the hostages now, or there will be hell to pay later!”.
Israel returned to the negotiation table Last week, the sending of a team to Doha for the first talks since Trump took office after the dead point of Washington and Hamas. Discussions are publicized by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.
Israel’s military action also came after Netanyahu Ronen Ronen BarThe head of the national intelligence agency of Israel Shin Bet, and David Barnea, director of the foreign spy agency Mossad, of the negotiation team of his country.
The Prime Minister said that the intelligence leaders, who had helped negotiate the ceasefire with officials from Biden and Trump administrations, including Witkoff, negotiated too slowly.
On the presidential path of the campaign last year, Trump promised American voters that he would bring peace to the Middle East.
Oil prices were stable on Tuesday during Asian negotiations, with Brent Crude Futures, the international index, increasing by 0.3% to $ 71.26 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate, the American reference index, increased by 0.3% to $ 67.78 per barrel.
Additional reports from Felicia Schwartz to Washington and William Sandlund in Hong Kong
