For the second consecutive day, the Israeli occupation has escalated its brutal aggression on Gaza, blatantly violating a ceasefire agreement before it even reached two full months.
The Zionist entity falsely blames the resistance for the renewed war—demanding, alongside its US ally, an unconditional surrender it failed to impose after more than 15 months of systematic genocide. However, the real motives behind this treacherous assault are no secret, as revealed daily by Israeli and American sources.
U.S. surgeon Feroze Sidhwa, a volunteer at Nasser Hospital in the Gaza Strip, describes the dire situation after Israel launched a heavy wave of violent airstrikes on the enclave, killing over 400 Palestinians.
He calls on the U.S. government to stop funding Israel and… pic.twitter.com/gbJY42lyqD
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) March 19, 2025
Political Motives Behind the Assault
Former US State Department negotiator Aaron David Miller told Foreign Policy that Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza were “not surprising” and are “closely tied to the political crisis facing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”
Miller further noted that the prospects of implementing the second phase of the ceasefire agreement were always slim. He explained that Hamas would not release captives without solid guarantees—something neither the UN nor Washington was willing to provide. He also affirmed that “Hamas will not be destroyed, and its influence in Gaza will remain strong.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli Walla news site claimed that security assessments suggest intensified attacks on Gaza could force Hamas back into negotiations from a weaker position. According to the report, the success of Israel’s offensive is measured by Hamas’ return to talks.
Echoing this rhetoric, Netanyahu declared on Tuesday that negotiations over Israeli captives in Gaza would now take place “under fire,” vowing further military escalation.
WSJ: Large-Scale Ground Offensive
The Wall Street Journal, citing security analysts familiar with the Israeli enemy’s military plans, reported that the Israeli occupation forces are preparing for a large-scale ground offensive in Gaza.
According to the report, the Israeli occupation army may attack multiple areas with greater force while maintaining its positions inside the besieged enclave. Analysts also suggested that the Israeli enemy plans to take on a larger role in aid distribution within Gaza in an attempt to weaken the resistance’s leverage.
Meanwhile, public support for the war has declined within Israel following the resumption of hostilities. The Wall Street Journal noted that many Zionists now believe that only a negotiated settlement can secure the release of captives held in Gaza.
In a related development, around 50,000 demonstrators gathered in the occupied city Tel Aviv demanding a return to negotiations for the captives’ release. At the same time, the Israeli military radio reported that a major highway between the occupied cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem was shut down due to protests over the dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
Israeli media also quoted the mother of a captive in Gaza saying, “Resuming the war has opened the gates of hell for us, and no official is updating us on our children’s fate.”
Death Toll Rises as Strikes Intensify
Israeli occupation forces targeted homes and refugee tents on Wednesday in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that the death toll has climbed to 436, with 678 others wounded.
A spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Defense said Israeli airstrikes have intensified across the enclave, killing civilians and making rescue operations increasingly difficult. He noted that more than 80 women have been killed in the latest wave of attacks.
Early Wednesday, Israeli strikes on Salah Al-Din Street in Nuseirat refugee camp left one dead and several injured. Palestinian media reported that overnight air raids claimed 16 more lives.
BREAKING: A fire breaks out in a house in Nuseirat, central Gaza, after it was targeted by an Israeli airstrike. pic.twitter.com/YpUG4s6asT
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) March 19, 2025
In central Gaza, an Israeli strike on a UN facility killed one foreign worker and wounded five others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Meanwhile, a residential home in Sabra, southern Gaza City, was bombed, killing four civilians.
Israeli enemy warplanes also targeted a tent in Tuffah neighborhood, while strikes on four displacement camps in Mawasi and the southern region killed 10 people, including a child and a pregnant woman from the Al-Humaidi family. In Deir al-Balah, another home was destroyed in an air raid.
Israeli artillery shelled a residential tower in Bureij refugee camp and bombed homes in Rafah. Occupation aircraft also dropped leaflets ordering residents of Abasan al-Kabira, Khuza’a (east of Khan Younis), and Beit Hanoun (north Gaza) to evacuate.
Gaza Faces Starvation as Israeli Enemy Blocks Aid
The Gaza Government Media Office warned that the continued closure of border crossings and blockade on humanitarian aid could lead to a catastrophic humanitarian collapse.
“The Strip has entered the first stages of famine, with nearly two million people having completely lost access to food security,” the office stated, adding that the coming days will be “disastrous” if the assault does not stop.
The statement held the Israeli enemy and the US responsible for the ongoing genocide, as 25,000 patients in Gaza face imminent death due to shortages of food and water.
Source: Al-Manar Website
