More than 420 people have been killed in Gaza and another 600 injured in a late-night Israeli airstrike on the Strip, the Hamas-run Health Ministry announced on March 18. 

Israel, which defended its actions, even following the reported deaths of 130 children, said the operation followed direct instructions from Israel's political leadership after what it described as the collapse of hostage release negotiations with the Gaza-based group. Hamas later blamed the US Trump administration for the collapse in talks for the failure in negotiations. The status of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza is unknown but previously released people have condemned the strike on their social media. 

At least five senior Hamas officials were among those killed in the strikes, including Mahmoud Abu Watfa, director-general of Hamas's Interior Ministry, and two members of Hamas' political bureau – Abu Obeidah Muhammad al-Jamasi and Issam al-Daalis, Quds News reported.

Ahmed Omar Al-Hatta was another senior leader, while Bahjat Abu Sultan was also reportedly killed in the strikes, later confirmed by the Gaza authorities. 

"From this point forward, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing military intensity," Oren Marmorstein said.

"The ongoing crimes of the occupation and the targeting of Ministry of Interior leaders and cadres will not prevent us from fulfilling our duty and serving our people, regardless of the challenges," Hamas said following the killings.  

It added, "We affirm that the police, security, and service agencies are monitoring the situation on the ground in all governorates of the Gaza Strip and are taking measures to support residents under the current circumstances."

“If Hamas does not release all the hostages, the gates of hell will open in Gaza, and it will meet the IDF with forces it has never seen before,” Israeli Defence Minister Katz stated, as quoted by Israel’s N12, earlier on March 18.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli Security Agency (IAS), also known as the Shin Bet, issued the following joint statement on the IDF's official Telegram channel on March 18: “In accordance with the political echelon, the IDF and ISA are currently conducting extensive strikes on terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip. Details to follow.”

White House Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that the attacks were carried out after consultation with the American administration.

The Prime Minister's Office announced that the decision to launch the strikes “followed Hamas's repeated refusal to release our hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals it has received from US special envoy to the Mideast Envoy Steve Witkoff and from the mediators,” as reported by The Times of Israel.

Following the strikes, the IDF Home Front Command implemented changes to defensive guidelines for communities near the Gaza Strip, including temporary school closures, signalling expectations of potential retaliatory actions.