Netanyahu Warns Gaza Strikes Are ‘Only the Beginning’ Amid Escalating Conflict

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark warning on Tuesday, stating that the massive airstrikes on Gaza launched overnight were “only the beginning” and promising that future negotiations with Hamas would take place “only under fire.” The strikes, which marked the largest military operation since a January ceasefire, resulted in more than 400 deaths across the Gaza Strip, according to health officials in the Hamas-controlled territory.

In a video statement on Tuesday evening, Netanyahu vowed, “Hamas has already felt the strength of our arm in the past 24 hours. And I want to promise you – and them – this is only the beginning.” He further declared that military pressure would continue, stressing that negotiations would only resume under conditions of heightened conflict. “Military pressure is essential for the release of additional hostages,” Netanyahu added, referring to the hostages taken by Hamas during the October 2023 attacks that led to the ongoing war.

The strikes, which resumed after the expiration of the first phase of a truce, have intensified tensions between Israel and Hamas, with both sides at an impasse over how to proceed with negotiations for a lasting ceasefire. Israel’s stance remains clear: military operations will persist until all hostages are returned. In Gaza, however, the violence has left widespread destruction, with civilian casualties mounting.

Witnesses in Gaza reported a temporary halt to the strikes by Tuesday afternoon, though sporadic bombing continued. “Today I felt that Gaza is a real hell,” said Jihan Nahhal, a 43-year-old woman from Gaza City, describing the aftermath of the attacks. “Suddenly there were huge explosions, as if it were the first day of the war.”

Hamas has yet to respond militarily to the latest Israeli actions but condemned the strikes, calling them a violation of the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. The group warned that these renewed attacks would only increase the suffering of the remaining hostages.

International reactions to the violence have been swift, with governments worldwide calling for an end to the hostilities. The United Nations condemned the airstrikes, and humanitarian organizations expressed alarm over the high death toll, including the deaths of dozens of children. “The images of burning tents in refugee camps are shocking,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. “Fleeing children and displaced persons must never be used as leverage in negotiations.”

Hamas backer Iran also denounced the attacks as a “continuation of the genocide” in the Palestinian territories. Russia and China have voiced concerns about further escalation, while Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi accused Israel of trying to make Gaza “uninhabitable” and force Palestinians into displacement.

The renewed fighting follows a ceasefire in January after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed more than 1,200 people. Since then, Israeli retaliation in Gaza has resulted in at least 48,577 deaths, most of whom were civilians. Of the 251 hostages taken during the attack, 58 remain in Gaza, with 34 reported dead.

Meanwhile, tensions have spread beyond Gaza. On Tuesday evening, Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels launched a missile at Israel in what they described as solidarity with the Palestinians. The missile was intercepted by the Israeli military, adding a new dimension to the regional conflict.

The situation remains fluid, with calls for a de-escalation falling on deaf ears as both sides prepare for what could be a prolonged period of violence. The families of Israeli hostages, some of whom are believed to be in Gaza, continue to plead with Netanyahu to halt the attacks, fearing for the safety of their loved ones as the conflict intensifies.