Israel’s Netanyahu warns deadly Gaza onslaught ‘only the beginning’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the overnight airstrikes against Gaza “only the beginning” were to cause hundreds of Palestinians to die.

Netanyahu stated in a televised address on Tuesday night that future ceasefire negotiations would “only take place under fire” and that Israeli forces would “increasing force” attack Hamas.

The Israeli leader said, “Hamas has already felt the weight of our force in the last 24 hours, and I want to assure you that this is only the beginning.”

“We will continue to fight to achieve all of our war goals, including the release of all of our hostages, the end of Hamas, and the guarantee that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.”

Netanyahu’s defiant remarks come after Israel’s deadly attacks across Gaza shattered the fragile ceasefire&nbsp with Hamas, which started on January 19 and continued until January 20.

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the air strikes killed at least 404 Palestinians, many of whom were children, and injured more than 560 others.

In the process, the assault wiped out entire families in Gaza, including Khan Younis and Rafah in the south, Gaza City in the north, and Deir el-Balah in the center.

Due to Israel’s insistent request to extend the first phase of the ceasefire agreement until mid-April, talks on the second stage of the agreement have reached a standstill. This would result in the release of nearly 60 Hamas captives and the establishment of a permanent ceasefire.

In exchange for the start of second phase negotiations and the end of the Israeli blockade, which was put in place earlier this month, Israel rejected an offer from Hamas to release an American-Israeli dual national and the bodies of four dead captives.

Since the ceasefire’s start, which had been a six-week long first stage of negotiations, Hamas has released nearly 300 prisoners in exchange for nearly 2, 000 Palestinian ones.

Steve Witkoff, the US president’s envoy for the Middle East, had been pushing for a “bridge” proposal to extend the ceasefire beyond Ramadan and Passover prior to Israel’s assault.

In exchange for prisoners, Hamas would have allowed additional living prisoners as part of the proposed agreement while the parties worked out a framework for a permanent ceasefire.

Netanyahu directly blamed Hamas for the stagnant talks in his speech on Tuesday.

Hamas “absolutely refused to do so” according to Netanyahu, “while Israel accepted the offer of President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.” “I authorized yesterday the resumption of military action against Hamas because of this.”

Netanyahu also charged Hamas with being responsible for “every unintended casualty” in Gaza.

He advised Palestinian citizens to stay away from Hamas terrorists and urge the people of Gaza to leave.