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Countries in the Middle East impose curfew to curb the global spread of coronavirus

The pandemic has infected more than 336,000 people globally and killed over 14,600. (File/AFP)
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Updated 24 March 2020
Arab News
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Countries in the Middle East impose curfew to curb the global spread of coronavirus

  • Iran reported another 127 coronavirus deaths, bringing its death toll to 1,812
Updated 24 March 2020
Arab News

DUBAI: As the spread of COVID-19 continues across the globe, some countries in the Middle East imposed further regulations to stop the disease from spreading.

Saudi Arabia imposed an 11-hour curfew for 21 days, from 16:00 until 03:00 (GMT), while Lebanon deployed security forces to ensure residents stay at home.

UAE will close all malls for two weeks in two days, and authorities are urging people to remain at home.

The pandemic has infected more than 336,000 people globally and killed over 14,600. More than 98,300 people have recovered so far, mostly in China.

Monday, March 23 (All times in GMT)

19:54 - Egypt recorded 39 new coronavirus cases and five deaths.

18:50 - Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways said on Monday that effective immediately only citizens of the United Arab Emirates or diplomats will be able to board its flights from overseas destinations and only if their final destination is Abu Dhabi, the airline said on twitter.

The UAE is suspending all passenger flights for two weeks from Wednesday to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

18:45 - Algeria will impose a curfew to combat the coronavirus in the capital Algiers from 7pm-7am and a full lockdown in the town of Blida, center of the worst outbreak in the country, with both measures starting on Tuesday and lasting for 10 days.

The measures, to be enforced by the army, were announced in a statement by the presidency on Monday and residents of Blida will be able to receive food and other staples by delivery, it said.

18:00 - Jordan's King Abdullah II said he has directed the government, armed forces, and security services to deal with this danger with the highest degree of preparedness and formed a crisis cell, urging everyone to abide by the instructions.

17:55 - Europe's footballing body UEFA has postponed the Champions League final, the Europa League final and Women's Champions League final without giving any alternative dates.

17:45 - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Monday for an immediate cease-fire in conflicts around the world to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. FULL STORY HERE.

17:20 - The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in Italy has grown by 602 to 6,078, the head of the Civil Protection Agency said on Monday, an 11% increase but the smallest rise in numerical terms since Thursday, suggesting a clear downward trend.

16:42 - Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 major economies agreed to develop an action plan in response to the coronavirus and to closely monitor the epidemic’s impact on markets and economic conditions, the Saudi Secretariat said.
A statement released following their virtual meeting said an impromptu virtual summit of G20 leaders initially announced for this week would convene “in a few days” but did not mention a specific date.

16:50 - Sudan announces a curfew across the whole of the country from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting from Tuesday, and Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, chairman of the Transitional Military Council, said that the country would mobilize all the state and army potential to face the pandemic.

16:40 - The United Arab Emirates decided to return all students studying outside the country, including those on scholarships, within 48 hours, in coordination with educational departments and embassies in the countries they are present in.

16:15 - The curfew in Saudi Arabia has now taken effect to control the spread of #COVID19. The curfew runs from 7pm until 6am every day for 21 days. FULL STORY HERE.

16:15 - The World Health Organization's Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said the coronavirus pandemic is "accelerating" and that the world's governments need to prioritise healh workers as many lives will be lost if those key workers get sick. WATCH PRESS BRIEFING BELOW:

16:00 - Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said Monday that the German leader has tested negative for the new coronavirus. Spokesman Steffen Seibert told news agency dpa “the result of today’s test is negative” but that “further tests will be conducted in the coming days.”

15:00 - London's commuters are critical of the UK capital's transport authorities after Monday's rush hour saw packed trains despite the government's advice to avoid public transport and practice social distancing. FULL STORY HERE.

14:53 - President of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, said the two mosques will keep their main doors open but will close all non-main doors.
The authority said it is working to take all necessary measures and precautions to limit the spread of the coronavirus in cooperation with health and security agencies at the Grand Mosque.

14:20 - Tunisia’s President Kais Saied ordered the army to deploy in the streets to force people to respect a lockdown imposed to halt the spread of coronavirus, the office of the presidency said in a statement sent to Reuters.
Tunisia has 89 confirmed cases of the virus. It imposed a curfew last week and a general lockdown from Sunday that keeps people in their homes except to buy necessities.

13:40 - Confirmed coronavirus infections in Netherlands rise by 545 to 4,749 with 34 new deaths, the Dutch health authorities announced on Monday

13:30 - Britain's Ministry of Defense said on Monday that a team of military planners visited London's Excel Centre - a large exhibition space in the UK capital - to determine how it could help respond to the coronavirus outbreak and assist the country's National Health Service.

12:30 – Saudi Arabia has started preparations for the nationwide curfew that will start at 19:00 Saudi time until the next morning.

The Interior Ministry said violators of the curfew could be imprisoned and fined $2,663.

12:25 – Tunisia has confirmed 14 new cases of coronavirus, raising total to 89.

12:20– Bahrain has suspended prayer in all mosques starting on Monday.

12:15 – The British government has called on its citizens to stay at home to prevent the spread of the virus.

12:15 – The Libyan National Army has announced the implementation of curfew in areas under its control.

11:45 – Morocco has confirmed 134 coronvirus cases in the Kingdom, the Ministry of Health said on its website www.covidmaroc.ma. The ministry also announces the recovery of three patients, while four deaths were reported. READ THE REPORT

11:40 – The Russian Olympic Committee has called for cooperation to come out with a decision on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

11:40 – India has suspended all domestic flights as part of the procedures to tackle coronavirus.

11:35 – Iraq has recorded 3 deaths due to coronavirus, 33 new infections bring total cases to 266.




A worker sprays disinfectant over a clothesline near a house in an impoverished neighborhood in Najaf on March 23, 2020. (AFP)

10:55 – A senior Egyptian military official died on Monday from coronavirus, state newspaper Al-Ahram said, a day after state media announced the death of another senior military official.

10:40 – Paris police said it will extend confinement measures in the French capital because of the pandemic.

10:35 – Confirmed cases of coronavirus infections in Spain rose to 33,089, with new death toll of 2,182.

10:00 – Iran reported another 127 coronavirus deaths, bringing its death toll to 1,812 amid 23,049 confirmed cases. Iran is battling the worst outbreak in the Middle East, and has faced widespread criticism for not imposing stricter quarantine measures early on. It is also suffering under severe American sanctions imposed after President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. READ THE STORY HERE

09:55 – Malaysia reported 212 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the biggest daily jump in the Southeast Asian country and bringing the total to 1,518.
About 970 of the total cases are linked to a religious gathering last month near the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, the health ministry said.
The death toll from the coronavirus infection rose to 14, the ministry said.

09:30 – Oman records 11 new cases of coronavirus infections, bringing the total number to 66. 

09:00 – Tunisia’s public sector told to work from home until April 4, 2020 to protect workers from coronavirus.

08:05 – Kuwait’s Health Ministry recorded one new coronavirus case in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 189.

A total of 30 people have recovered, and 109 people left quarantine after testing negative.

08:05 – The Philippines has reported 82 new coronavirus infections, raising total number to 462.

07:50 – The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has risen to 22,672 and 86 people have died from the disease, a tally by public health agency Robert Koch Institute showed on Monday.

07:45 – Hong Kong has banned all non-resident arrivals to the country over coronavirus fears.

07:25 – The Syrian government has announced the first case of the novel coronavirus in the war-torn country, days after starting measures to stem the spread of the pandemic.
Health minister Nizar Yaziji late Sunday said authorities had recorded “a first case of the coronavirus in Syria in a person coming from abroad,” without specifying the country. READ THE STORY HERE.

06:40 – The United Nations will create a fund to support the treatment of coronavirus patients worldwide, Norway’s foreign ministry said.
The purpose of the fund is to assist developing countries with weak health systems in addressing the crisis as well as to tackle the long-term consequences, the ministry added. READ MORE HERE.

06:40 – The United States should lift sanctions if Washington wants to help Iran to contain the coronavirus outbreak, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday, adding that Iran had no intention of accepting Washington’s offer of humanitarian assistance.

06:15 – Taiwan government announced 26 new cases of coronavirus, bringing total to 195.

05:31 – With Philippine borders closed to foreigners and tens of millions of people on home quarantine, President Rodrigo Duterte wants the power to control supplies and public utilities, order businesses to help government, and pull funds from state enterprises and departmental budgets to redirect into emergency health needs. READ THE STORY HERE

04:45 – The Philippine health department confirmed 16 new cases of COVID-19, bringing total to 396. The department also reported eight new deaths, raising toll to 33.

04:15 – Cambodia has reported two new coronavirus cases, taking toll to 86.

04:15 – Thailand has confirmed 122 new cases of the new coronavirus, making its total 721.

03:55 – Canada pulled out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics while Australia said it could not assemble a team due to the coronavirus outbreak, and that its athletes should prepare for the Games to be postponed to 2021. READ THE STORY HERE

01:50 – Moroccan King Mohammad VI has ordered the mobilization of Royal Armed Forces’ medical resources to help the country’s fight against the novel coronavirus. READ THE STORY

Sunday, March 22 (All times in GMT)

23:30 – The UAE announced it will temporarily suspend all passenger and transit flights.

21:45 – UAE is to close all shopping malls as a result of the virus outbreak.

21:25 – Morocco announced fourth death due to coronavirus. Currently, the total number of cases is at 115.

19:35 – Jordan’s Ministry of Health recorded 13 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the toll to 112.

Authorities have reported one recovery and said all other cases are stable, except an 83-year-old.

18:35 – Sudanese authorities said 31 people have been released from quarantine after testing negative, while 13 cases remain under observation.

Topics: Coronavirus

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Gaza death toll rises as Israeli strikes threaten to reignite war with Hamas

Updated 56 min 57 sec ago
AP
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Gaza death toll rises as Israeli strikes threaten to reignite war with Hamas

  • Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip killing at least 235 Palestinians, including women and children
  • The surprise attack shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
Updated 56 min 57 sec ago
AP

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Israel launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing at least 235 Palestinians, including women and children, according to hospital officials. The surprise bombardment threatened to wreck the ceasefire in place since January and fully reignite the 17-month-old war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in talks to extend the ceasefire. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions.
“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Netanyahu’s office said.
The surprise attack shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and raised the prospect of a full return to fighting in a 17-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza. It also raised questions about the fate of the roughly two dozen Israeli hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive.
A senior Hamas official said Netanyahu’s decision to resume the war amounts to a “death sentence” for the remaining hostages. Izzat Al-Risheq accused Netanyahu of launching the strikes to try and save his far-right governing coalition and called on mediators to “reveal facts” on who broke the truce.
The strikes came as Netanayahu comes under mounting domestic pressure, with mass protests planned over his handling of the hostage crisis and his decision to fire the head of Israel’s internal security agency. His latest testimony in a long-running corruption trial was canceled after the strikes.
Wounded stream into Gaza hospitals
A strike on a home in the southern city of Rafah killed 17 members of one family, including at least 12 women and children, according to the European Hospital, which received the bodies. The dead included five children, their parents, and another father and his three children, according to hospital records.
In the southern city of Khan Younis, Associated Press reporters saw explosions and plumes of smoke. Ambulances brought wounded people to Nasser Hospital, where patients lay on the floor, some screaming. A young girl cried as her bloody arm was bandaged.
Many Palestinians said they had expected a return to war when talks over the second phase of the ceasefire did not begin as scheduled in early February. Israel instead embraced an alternative proposal and cut off all shipments of food, fuel and other aid to the territory’s 2 million Palestinians to try to pressure Hamas to accept it.
“Nobody wants to fight,” Palestinian resident Nidal Alzaanin told the AP by phone from Gaza City. “Everyone is still suffering from the previous months,” he said.
At least 235 people were killed in the strikes overnight and into Tuesday, according to records from seven hospitals. The toll does not include bodies brought to other, smaller health centers, and rescuers were still searching for dead and wounded people.
US backs Israel and blames Hamas
The White House sought to blame Hamas for the renewed fighting. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the militant group “could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.”
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the unfolding operation, said Israel was striking Hamas’ military, leaders and infrastructure and planned to expand the operation beyond air attacks. The official accused Hamas of attempting to rebuild and plan new attacks. Hamas militants and security forces quickly returned to the streets in recent weeks after the ceasefire went into effect.
Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said the “gates of hell will open in Gaza” if the hostages aren’t released. “We will not stop fighting until all of our hostages are home and we have achieved all of the war goals,” he said.
Talks on a second phase of the ceasefire had stalled
The strikes came two months after a ceasefire was reached to pause the war. Over six weeks, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in a first phase of the ceasefire.
But since that ceasefire ended two weeks ago, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward with a second phase aimed at releasing the 59 remaining hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead, and ending the war altogether.
Hamas has demanded an end to the war and full withdrawal of Israeli troops in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages. Israel says it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas’ governing and military capabilities and frees all hostages — two goals that could be incompatible.
Netanyahu’s office on Tuesday said Hamas had “repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the US presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators.”
Taher Nunu, a Hamas official, criticized the Israeli attacks. “The international community faces a moral test: either it allows the return of the crimes committed by the occupation army or it enforces a commitment to ending the aggression and war against innocent people in Gaza,” he said.
Gaza already in a humanitarian crisis
The war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most have been released in ceasefires or other deals, with Israeli forces rescuing only eight and recovering dozens of bodies.
Israel responded with a military offensive that killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90 percent of Gaza’s population. The territory’s Health Ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and militants, but says over half of the dead have been women and children.
The ceasefire had brought some relief to Gaza and allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to resume to what remained of their homes.
A renewed Israeli ground offensive could also be especially deadly now that so many Palestinian civilians have returned home. Before the ceasefire, civilians were largely concentrated in tent camps meant to provide relative safety from the fighting.
Netanyahu faces mounting criticism
The return to fighting could also worsen deep internal fissures inside Israel over the fate of the remaining hostages.
The released hostages, some of whom were emaciated, have repeatedly implored the government to press ahead with the ceasefire to return all remaining captives. Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken part in mass demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and return of all hostages.
Mass demonstrations are planned later Tuesday and Wednesday following Netanyahu’s announcement this week that he wants to fire the head of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency. Critics have lambasted the move as an attempt by Netanyahu to divert blame for his government’s failures in the Oct. 7 attack and handling of the war.
Since the ceasefire in Gaza began in mid-January, Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military says approached its troops or entered unauthorized areas.
Still, the deal has tenuously held without an outbreak of wide violence. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate the next steps in the ceasefire.
Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Hamas instead wants to follow the ceasefire deal reached by the two sides, which calls for negotiations to begin on the ceasefire’s more difficult second phase, in which the remaining hostages would be released and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza.

Topics: War on Gaza Gaza Israel Hamas

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Israel hits Gaza with new airstrikes that kill at least 200 after truce talks stall

Updated 18 March 2025
AP
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Israel hits Gaza with new airstrikes that kill at least 200 after truce talks stall

  • Netanyahu says he ordered strikes because of lack of progress in talks to extend ceasefire
  • Hamas accuses Netanyahu of upending ceasefire, exposing hostages to "an unknown fate”
Updated 18 March 2025
AP

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was striking dozens of Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January. Palestinian officials reported at least 200 deaths.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in talks to extend the ceasefire. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions.

“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Netanyahu’s office said.

The surprise attack shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and raised the prospect of a full return to fighting in a 17-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza. It also raised questions about the fate of the roughly two dozen Israeli hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive.

Hamas accused Netanyahu of upending the ceasefire agreement and exposing the hostages “to an unknown fate.” In a statement, it called on mediators to hold Israel “fully responsible for violating and overturning the agreement.”

In the southern city of Khan Younis, Associated Press reporters saw explosions and plumes of smoke. Ambulances brought wounded people to Nasser Hospital, where patients lay on the floor, some screaming. A young boy sat with a bandage around his head as a health worker checked for more injuries, a young girl cried as her bloody arm was bandaged.

Many Palestinians said they had expected a return to war when talks over the second phase of the ceasefire did not begin as scheduled in early February. Israel instead embraced an alternative proposal and cut off all shipments of food, fuel and other aid to the territory’s 2 million Palestinians to try to pressure Hamas to accept it.

“Nobody wants to fight,” Palestinian resident Nidal Alzaanin said by phone from Gaza City. “Everyone is still suffering from the previous months,” he said.

US backs Israel and blames Hamas

The White House sought to blame Hamas for the renewed fighting. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the militant group “could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.”

US envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading mediation efforts along with Egypt and Qatar, had earlier warned that Hamas must release living hostages immediately “or pay a severe price.”

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the unfolding operation, said Israel was striking Hamas’ military, leaders and infrastructure and planned to expand the operation beyond air attacks. The official accused Hamas of attempting to rebuild and plan new attacks. Hamas militants and security forces quickly returned to the streets in recent weeks after the ceasefire went into effect.

Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said the “gates of hell will open in Gaza” if the hostages aren’t released. “We will not stop fighting until all of our hostages are home and we have achieved all of the war goals,” he said.

Explosions could be heard throughout Gaza. Khalil Degran, a spokesman for the Health Ministry based at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, said at least 200 people had been killed. The territory’s civil defense agency said its crews were having a difficult time carrying out rescue efforts because various areas were being targeted simultaneously.

Talks on a second phase of the ceasefire had stalled

The strikes came two months after a ceasefire was reached to pause the war. Over six weeks, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in a first phase of the ceasefire.

But since that ceasefire ended two weeks ago, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward with a second phase aimed at releasing the 59 remaining hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead, and ending the war altogether.

Hamas has demanded an end to the war and full withdrawal of Israeli troops in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages. Israel says it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas’ governing and military capabilities and frees all hostages.

Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to resume the war.

“This comes after Hamas repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the US presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators,” Netanyahu’s office said early Tuesday.

Taher Nunu, a Hamas official, criticized the Israeli attacks. “The international community faces a moral test: either it allows the return of the crimes committed by the occupation army or it enforces a commitment to ending the aggression and war against innocent people in Gaza,” he said.

Gaza already in a humanitarian crisis

The war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most have been released in ceasefires or other deals, with Israeli forces rescuing only eight and recovering dozens of bodies.

Israel responded with a military offensive that killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90 percent of Gaza’s population. The territory’s Health Ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and militants, but says over half of the dead have been women and children.

The ceasefire had brought some relief to Gaza and allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to resume to what remained of their homes.

A renewed Israeli ground offensive could also be especially deadly now that so many Palestinian civilians have returned home. Before the ceasefire, civilians were largely concentrated in tent camps meant to provide relative safety from the fighting.

The return to fighting could also worsen deep internal fissures inside Israel over the fate of the remaining hostages. Many of the hostages released by Hamas returned emaciated and malnourished, putting heavy pressure on the government to extend the ceasefire.

The released hostages have repeatedly implored the government to press ahead with the ceasefire to return all remaining hostages, and tens of thousands of Israelis have taken part in mass demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and return of all hostages.

Topics: Israel Gaza airstrikes

North Korea condemns US strikes against Yemen, KCNA says

Updated 18 March 2025
Reuters
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North Korea condemns US strikes against Yemen, KCNA says

  • The large-scale US strikes were launched by President Donald Trump last week targeting Iran-aligned Houthis
  • Houthi-run health ministry said the strikes killed at least 53 people including women and children
Updated 18 March 2025
Reuters

SEOUL: North Korea condemned recent US strikes on Yemen as an act violating international law and a country’s sovereignty and said such a move could never be justified in any way, the North’s state media quoted on Tuesday its ambassador to Yemen as saying.
The large-scale US strikes were launched by President Donald Trump last week targeting Iran-aligned Houthis over the group’s attacks on Red Sea shipping. The Houthi-run health ministry said the strikes killed at least 53 people including women and children.
The North Korean ambassador, Ma Dong Hui, who the KCNA state news agency said was also Pyongyang’s envoy to Egypt, said Washington “indiscriminately” targeted civilians and property by mobilizing air and navy forces including an aircraft carrier.
“The military attack by the United States is a violent violation of the UN Charter and international law, and is a blatant infringement on the territorial sovereignty of another country that cannot be justified by any means,” Ma said.
“I express grave concern about the illegal and reckless military actions by the United States, which is obsessed with realizing geopolitical ambitions ... and I strongly condemn and reject them.”
The US Defense Department said the strikes hit more than 30 sites and involved fighter jets launched from a carrier in the Red Sea.

Topics: Yemen Houthi North Korea

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Iran-backed Houthis claim third attack on US ships in 48 hours

Updated 18 March 2025
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Iran-backed Houthis claim third attack on US ships in 48 hours

  • A senior Hamas official told Reuters on Tuesday that Israel is unilaterally ending the Gaza ceasefire agreement
Updated 18 March 2025
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SANAA: Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a third attack on an American aircraft carrier group in 48 hours, calling it retaliation for US strikes.
The Houthis said in a Telegram post that they targeted the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group with missiles and drones, making the attack the “third in the past 48 hours” in the northern Red Sea.
 

 

Topics: War on Gaza Palestine Gaza USA

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Israel hits Gaza with new airstrikes that kill at least 200 after truce talks stall

Updated 18 March 2025
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Israel hits Gaza with new airstrikes that kill at least 200 after truce talks stall

  • Hamas accuse Benjamin Netanyahu of upending the ceasefire agreement and exposing the hostages ‘to an unknown fate’
Updated 18 March 2025
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DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was striking dozens of Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January. Palestinian officials reported at least 200 deaths.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in talks to extend the ceasefire. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions.

“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Netanyahu’s office said.

The surprise attack shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and raised the prospect of a full return to fighting in a 17-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza. It also raised questions about the fate of the roughly two dozen Israeli hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive.

Hamas accused Netanyahu of upending the ceasefire agreement and exposing the hostages “to an unknown fate.” In a statement, it called on mediators to hold Israel “fully responsible for violating and overturning the agreement.”

In the southern city of Khan Younis, Associated Press reporters saw explosions and plumes of smoke. Ambulances brought wounded people to Nasser Hospital, where patients lay on the floor, some screaming. A young boy sat with a bandage around his head as a health worker checked for more injuries, a young girl cried as her bloody arm was bandaged.

Many Palestinians said they had expected a return to war when talks over the second phase of the ceasefire did not begin as scheduled in early February. Israel instead embraced an alternative proposal and cut off all shipments of food, fuel and other aid to the territory’s 2 million Palestinians to try to pressure Hamas to accept it.

“Nobody wants to fight,” Palestinian resident Nidal Alzaanin said by phone from Gaza City. “Everyone is still suffering from the previous months,” he said.

US backs Israel and blames Hamas

The White House sought to blame Hamas for the renewed fighting. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the militant group “could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.”

US envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading mediation efforts along with Egypt and Qatar, had earlier warned that Hamas must release living hostages immediately “or pay a severe price.”

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the unfolding operation, said Israel was striking Hamas’ military, leaders and infrastructure and planned to expand the operation beyond air attacks. The official accused Hamas of attempting to rebuild and plan new attacks. Hamas militants and security forces quickly returned to the streets in recent weeks after the ceasefire went into effect.

Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said the “gates of hell will open in Gaza” if the hostages aren’t released. “We will not stop fighting until all of our hostages are home and we have achieved all of the war goals,” he said.

Explosions could be heard throughout Gaza. Khalil Degran, a spokesman for the Health Ministry based at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, said at least 200 people had been killed. The territory’s civil defense agency said its crews were having a difficult time carrying out rescue efforts because various areas were being targeted simultaneously.

Talks on a second phase of the ceasefire had stalled

The strikes came two months after a ceasefire was reached to pause the war. Over six weeks, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in a first phase of the ceasefire.

But since that ceasefire ended two weeks ago, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward with a second phase aimed at releasing the 59 remaining hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead, and ending the war altogether.

Hamas has demanded an end to the war and full withdrawal of Israeli troops in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages. Israel says it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas’ governing and military capabilities and frees all hostages.

Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to resume the war.

“This comes after Hamas repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the US presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators,” Netanyahu’s office said early Tuesday.

Taher Nunu, a Hamas official, criticized the Israeli attacks. “The international community faces a moral test: either it allows the return of the crimes committed by the occupation army or it enforces a commitment to ending the aggression and war against innocent people in Gaza,” he said.

Gaza already in a humanitarian crisis

The war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most have been released in ceasefires or other deals, with Israeli forces rescuing only eight and recovering dozens of bodies.

Israel responded with a military offensive that killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90 percent of Gaza’s population. The territory’s Health Ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and militants, but says over half of the dead have been women and children.

The ceasefire had brought some relief to Gaza and allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to resume to what remained of their homes.

A renewed Israeli ground offensive could also be especially deadly now that so many Palestinian civilians have returned home. Before the ceasefire, civilians were largely concentrated in tent camps meant to provide relative safety from the fighting.

The return to fighting could also worsen deep internal fissures inside Israel over the fate of the remaining hostages. Many of the hostages released by Hamas returned emaciated and malnourished, putting heavy pressure on the government to extend the ceasefire.

The released hostages have repeatedly implored the government to press ahead with the ceasefire to return all remaining hostages, and tens of thousands of Israelis have taken part in mass demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and return of all hostages.

Topics: War on Gaza Palestine Gaza USA

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