Hamas can free hostages to continue ceasefire, but chooses war - White House
Brian Hughes and Donald Trump (photo: x.com/BrianHughes47)
The White House stated that Hamas's refusal to comply with the agreements regarding the extension of the ceasefire led to the resumption of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip. The issue concerns the release of hostages by the militants, according to The Times of Israel.
A representative of the White House National Security Council, Brian Hughes, spoke to the Israeli press about the large-scale strikes by the IDF on Hamas targets in the Palestinian enclave last night.
"Hamas could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war," the American official told journalists.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that on March 17, Israel consulted with the administration of US President Donald Trump regarding its strikes on the Gaza Strip.
This confirmed information from Axios, which cited unnamed Israeli officials, stating that Jerusalem had informed the US administration in advance about the attack, including the targets for the resumption of military operations in Gaza.
Previously, President Trump publicly issued a warning to Hamas, demanding the release of all hostages in the Gaza Strip, and stated that if this did not happen, let hell begin.
As reported by RBC-Ukraine, in February, Trump stated that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas should be canceled if the group does not release all hostages by noon on the upcoming Saturday. He warned that if this was not done, real hell would begin. However, he also noted that the decision would depend on Israel.
Israel resumes military operation in Gaza
As reported earlier, on the night of March 18, the Israeli army launched massive strikes on Hamas targets in the Palestinian enclave.
The Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had been urged to act decisively against Hamas in response to the group's refusal to release Israeli hostages.
Netanyahu's office also mentioned that Hamas had rejected all proposals from US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and other mediators regarding the continuation of the ceasefire in Gaza.
The plans to resume IDF operations were approved by the country's political leadership last week, according to Netanyahu's office.
Meanwhile, Arab media, citing medical sources in Gaza, report that as of March 18, at least 130 people have been killed across the entire enclave due to the Israeli airstrikes.
For more details on the massive Israeli attack on Gaza during the night, you can read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
