Gaza strikes show hostages are not Israel's top priority

Breaking of the ceasefire comes at a time of internal unrest ption trial, reports

- Bel Trew

In the early hours yesterday, families in Gaza were shaken awake by the return of ferocious bombardment from the air and land. The tense calm of a fragile ceasefire – brokered by the US, Qatar, and Egypt and in place since January – had been shattered.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the renewed offensive, vowing that Israel will “from now on act against Hamas with increasing military strength”, blaming the group for its “repeated refusal to release our hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals”.

It comes just two weeks after he ordered Israel to cut off all food, medicine, fuel, electricity, and other supplies to Gaza’s two million people to try and put pressure on Hamas to accept a new deal.

Mr Netanyahu has seemingly refused to bow to pressure from the families of the hostages to continue the truce and bring their loved ones home.

On yesterday morning the largest faction representing hostages’ families said their “greatest fear has come true – the Israeli government has chosen to abandon the hostages”.

They warned that “resuming fighting will cost more hostages their lives”, before saying: “We must stop the fighting and immediately return to the negotiation table.”

Hamas militant group, meanwhile, accused Netanyahu of upending the ceasefire agreement and in a veiled threat, said the fighting exposed the remaining hostages “to an unknown fate”.

So what happened?

The ceasefire was supposed to consist of three phases, the first of which expired two weeks ago and saw Hamas hand over 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.