Hamas launched rockets at Tel Aviv on Thursday, marking its first military response to Israel’s resumption of air and ground operations in Gaza, which has resulted in a rising civilian death toll. The armed wing of Hamas, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, stated that the rocket attack was in retaliation for Israel’s “massacres” of civilians in Gaza.
The Israeli military confirmed intercepting one projectile, while two others landed in uninhabited areas. Meanwhile, Israel announced the closure of Gaza’s main north-south route, Salaheddin Road, as it expanded its ground operations. Army spokesman Avichay Adraee stated that the move was part of efforts to “expand the security zone” between northern and southern Gaza.
The renewed violence has shattered the relative calm that had prevailed since a ceasefire took effect on January 19, 2025. Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that 504 people, including more than 190 children, have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive earlier this week.
At the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, grieving families mourned their loved ones, with some appealing for an end to the violence. “We want a ceasefire! We are defenceless Palestinian people,” said Mohammed Hussein, a bereaved family member, in an emotional plea to the international community.
The Israeli army has banned traffic on Salaheddin Road, urging residents to use the Al-Rashid coastal road for travel between northern and southern Gaza. However, it remains unclear whether movement from south to north is permitted. An official from Gaza’s Hamas-run interior ministry reported that Israeli tanks had deployed at Netzarim Junction, a key crossing point on Salaheddin Road, following the withdrawal of American private security contractors earlier this week.
The ceasefire, which had been brokered in January, expired earlier this month amid deadlock over its extension. Israel had demanded the return of all remaining hostages before discussing a lasting ceasefire, a condition rejected by Hamas as an attempt to renegotiate the original agreement.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), condemned the ongoing violence, describing it as “an endless unleashing of the most inhumane ordeals” on Gaza’s population. “Under our daily watch, people in Gaza are again & again going through their worst nightmare,” he wrote on X.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also weighed in, calling Israel’s strikes a “catastrophic crime” and holding the United States partly responsible.
The conflict, which began with Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel, has resulted in significant casualties on both sides. According to Israeli figures, the initial Hamas attack killed 1,218 people, mostly civilians. In Gaza, the health ministry reported an overall death toll of over 48,570 as of Monday, before the latest round of intense strikes resumed.