At least 85 killed as Israel resumes war in Gaza; Hamas responds with rockets

Israel has effectively abandoned ceasefire as it renews air and ground strikes

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At least 85 Palestinians were killed and 133 wounded in Israeli air strikes across Gaza on March 20 as Israel resumed its bombing campaign and ground operations in the enclave.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which did not retaliate during the first 48 hours of Israel's renewed assault, said it fired rockets into Israel.

Israel's army said it intercepted a projectile fired from Gaza, while two others fell in an uninhabited area after air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and central Israel.

Medics said the latest strikes targeted several houses in northern and southern Gaza.

Israel resumed its air assaults on Gaza on March 18 and launched ground operations on March 19, effectively abandoning a ceasefire that had held since January.

The renewed ground operations came a day after more than 400 Palestinians were killed in air strikes in one of the deadliest episodes since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023.

Since March 18, air strikes have killed 510 Palestinians, with more than half of them women and children, Mr Khalil Al-Deqran, spokesman of Gaza's Health Ministry, told Reuters.