'Hamas responsible for this war': Israeli PM Netanyahu on renewed attacks in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a public speech to the country, placed the blame on Hamas for resuming the conflict and justified the restarting of the military campaign against Gaza.

Hamas dismissed an offer made by US President

"Hamas is to blame for this war," Netanyahu asserted. "It besieged our cities, killed our citizens, raped our women and abducted our family members. Hamas turned down proposal after proposal to free our hostages." He stated that Israel had held back on launching military attacks for two weeks in the hopes that Hamas would reconsider. 

Hamas is responsible for this war. pic.twitter.com/JRabT6KAv4

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 18, 2025

Yet, after Hamas dismissed an offer made by US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, Netanyahu announced that he had no alternative but to command a new assault. "Israel does not fire at Palestinian civilians. We attack Hamas terrorists," he added, calling on Palestinian civilians to evacuate to safer places.

Netanyahu praised President Trump for his unceasing support

Netanyahu also praised President Trump for his "unceasing support" and promised Israel would persist with its goal to annihilate Hamas and return hostages. Netanyahu made the statement shortly after Israel struck with a widespread aerial attack along the Gaza Strip. The raids killed at least 404 Palestinians and injured more than 560, breaking a ceasefire that existed since January, according to local health authorities. The Gaza Health Ministry said that the majority of the dead were women and children. Hamas said that at least six top officials were killed in the strikes, including the head of its civilian government and top security chiefs. Israel maintained that its targets were military and political figures who were behind attacks on its citizens.

Netanyahu described the strikes as only the beginning

Netanyahu had described the strikes as "only the beginning" and promised to continue pushing until all of Israel's war objectives were realized. He warned also that any future ceasefire talks would be conducted "under fire", according to the Associated Press.The Israeli armed forces ordered those in the Gaza's east side to move inside, suggesting they anticipated a forthcoming ground assault. Simultaneously, humanitarian organizations were sounding a warning that a growing crisis deepened as resources of foodstuff, medicine, and fuel plummeted within only two weeks when Israel severed them from deliveries.

The violence was triggered when Hamas-led militants infiltrated southern Israel

The conflict, which started on October 7, 2023, has so far taken the lives of over 48,500 Palestinians, local health authorities report. The violence was triggered when Hamas-led militants infiltrated southern Israel, killing some 1,200 individuals mostly civilians and taking 251 people hostage. Periodic ceasefires have been unable to end the fighting, which has seen the virtual obliteration of Gaza and the forced evacuation of 90% of its residents.

The United States reiterated its backing for Israel, with National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes attributing responsibility for the renewed hostilities to Hamas. Yet the ceasefire deal facilitated with US intervention did not mandate Hamas to release further hostages to keep the truce going beyond its first phase.