Israel’s latest Gaza attack kills 400: Why is it happening now, and what does it mean for ceasefire?

Israel on Tuesday (March 18) launched attacks across Gaza which killed more than 400 people, with hundreds more injured.

Among the dead are senior Hamas officials as well as many civilians, including women and children.

Israel's strikes come at a time when mediators from both sides were discussing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire in Egypt.

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Why has Israel struck Gaza now?

The Israeli government has been threatening to escalate operations against Hamas for weeks. Israeli government has been giving the logic that targeting Hamas’ leadership, now could lead to the release of more hostages. However, many families of hostages in Israel disagree with this reasoning and believe that it could endanger the lives of their loved ones.

What about ceasefire talks?

This offensive comes just over two weeks after the first phase of a ceasefire agreement ended. The second phase of the deal which is still in the negotiation process was meant to bring about an end to the war, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of all remaining Israeli hostages.

The blame game

Israel had earlier proposed extending the initial phase of the ceasefire for 30 to 60 days to allow more hostages to be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Hamas rejected this offer, demanding a second phase of the ceasefire.

Israel claims Hamas broke the ceasefire by refusing further hostage releases. Hamas, in turn, accuses Israel of failing to proceed to the second phase of the agreement, which was supposed to involve further releases.

What about the future?

The fragile two-month pause in fighting is now over, and a diplomatic resolution appears unlikely in the near future. Israeli officials claim that the strikes are just the beginning of a much broader operation, which will continue until Hamas releases the remaining 59 hostages.

(With inputs from agencies)