Israel’s renewed military offensive in the Gaza Strip threatens to be even deadlier and more destructive than the last, as it pursues wider aims with far fewer constraints.
Israel resumed the war with a surprise bombardment early Tuesday that killed hundreds of Palestinians, ending the ceasefire and vowing even more devastation if Hamas doesn’t release its remaining hostages and leave the territory.
President Donald Trump has expressed full support for the renewed offensive and suggested last month that Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians be resettled in other countries. Iran-backed militant groups allied with Hamas are in disarray.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition is stronger than ever, and there are fewer hostages inside Gaza than at any point since Hamas ignited the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, attack, which gives Israel’s military more freedom to act.
It all suggests that the war’s next phase could be more brutal than the last, in which tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed, the vast majority of the population was displaced and much of Gaza was bombed to rubble.