Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
On March 20, before dawn, Israeli attacks on Gaza intensified killing 71 Palestinians sleeping in residential buildings in Khan Younis, Rafah, and Beit Lahiya. Among the dead, were babies, children, women, and men who had been with their families in temporary shelters.
Injured people have arrived at hospitals, while many people are still trapped and missing under the rubble.
On March 18 and 19, Israeli occupation forces carried out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 500 deaths, and over 500 injured. The attacks targeted various areas across the coastal enclave, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed it was only the beginning.
According to reports, the heavy bombardment on March 18 alone claimed the lives of approximately 430 Palestinians, with over 500 others wounded. The Gaza government media office revealed that nearly two-thirds of the victims were women and children, a statistic that has led to accusations of intentional genocide by Israeli forces.
The second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel calls for a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for a full release of remaining hostages from Gaza. Netanyahu’s far-right allies will never consider a withdrawal, and they have tied Netanyahu’s political fate to their genocidal views. Over decades of holding office, Netanyahu had ridiculed the ultra-religious right; however, now his personal freedom and political future are held in their hands.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister, has accused Israelis who protest against Netanyahu and the Gaza war of being against Israel.
“The ‘protest’ activists have long since ceased to be just against the government and the Prime Minister. They have become fully against the State of Israel,” Ben-Gvir said on social media.
Ben-Gvir was commenting about a demonstration outside Netanyahu’s residence in West Jerusalem on March 19, where one protester compared Netanyahu with Germany’s wartime Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
On March 18, tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv for what turned out to be the largest protest against the Israeli government in more than six months. The demonstration was in response to Netanyahu’s efforts to fire both the chief of the Shin Bet security service and the attorney general, who heads Israel’s politically independent legal system,
Most Israelis want an end to the war, the return of hostages, and Netanyahu’s resignation.
The Israeli government and its citizens are in opposite camps, which is pulling the country apart. Even before the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, there was widespread criticism of the government on a range of issues that were domestic and connected to fundamental democracy.
Netanyahu has called off the ceasefire and resumed the war on Gaza. He needs the war to continue to remain in power, by appeasing his right-wing extremist coalition allies. His end game is to see the Palestinian people surrender and beg to be moved out to save their lives. Plans are discussed in media reports concerning Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Egypt, and Jordan as possible refugee destinations. US President Donald Trump’s plan to turn Gaza into a tourist destination sounded far-fetched, but in Tel Aviv, it has been cheered.
The Trump administration has given Netanyahu the green light in Gaza. The Biden administration supported Netanyahu fully in the deaths of over 40,000 people, mainly women and children. Trump is continuing Biden’s policies on Gaza, although he is reversing almost all other Biden policies domestically.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. The director of the Gaza government media office announced that the region has officially entered the first stages of famine, with nearly two million people facing complete food insecurity. He warned that unless the Israeli aggression ceases, the coming days could see a total collapse of life in Gaza.
In a statement on the social media platform X, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an urgent warning to residents of specific areas in Gaza, including Beit Hanoun, Khirbet Khaza’a, and Abasan al-Kabira and al-Jadida, describing them as “dangerous combat zones.” He urged civilians to evacuate immediately to designated shelters in western Gaza City and Khan Younis.
Israel has justified its military actions by accusing Hamas of repeatedly refusing to release hostages and rejecting a ceasefire proposal put forward by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. An Israeli military official stated that the airstrikes targeted mid-level Hamas commanders and officials, warning that the offensive would continue and potentially expand beyond aerial bombardments if deemed necessary.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz echoed this sentiment, vowing that the country would continue fighting “until all hostages are returned” and warning Hamas that “the rules of the game have changed.”
The sudden resumption of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza has sparked widespread condemnation from both Arab and international communities. Many countries have issued statements denouncing Israel’s decision to restart military operations, accusing it of undermining ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
The United Nations has also weighed in, with one coordinator describing the airstrikes as unjust and calling for an immediate return to the ceasefire. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed shock at the severity of the Israeli attacks, which he said have exacerbated the tragedy in Gaza. UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the airstrikes, urging Israel to halt its operations, return to the negotiating table, and open crossings to allow humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.
Hamas, the armed Palestinian resistance, has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government of orchestrating a “coup” against the ceasefire that has been in place since January 19. In a statement, Hamas condemned the Israeli government for resuming what it called a “genocidal war” against the defenseless civilians of Gaza, accusing it of deliberately starving the population.
Hamas also rejected Israeli claims of preparations for an attack, describing them as baseless pretexts to justify the return to war. The group called on mediators to hold Netanyahu and the Israeli occupation fully responsible for violating the ceasefire agreement.
The United States, however, has placed the blame squarely on Hamas. Acting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Dorothy Shea stated that the U.S. supports Israel’s actions, claiming that the airstrikes were conducted in coordination with Washington. This stance has drawn criticism from those who argue that the U.S. is complicit in the ongoing violence.
The international community, along with the Arab world, is unable to stop Israel’s atrocities in Gaza out of fear of the consequences that could follow from the Trump administration. Over the last 75 years, the UN Security Council has done nothing to support the Palestinians in establishing freedom. Dozens of resolutions and hundreds of summits have never ended the occupation.
As the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the international community faces mounting pressure to intervene and broker a lasting peace. The escalating violence and humanitarian crisis underscore the urgent need for a resolution to the decades-long conflict, as innocent civilians bear the brunt of the ongoing hostilities.
Steven Sahiounie is a two-time award-winning journalist.
