Israel shatters Gaza ceasefire as more than 400 Palestinians killed in IDF strikes

Benjamin Netanyahu says attacks were carried out to ‘achieve war objectives’ as Hamas labels strikes a ‘blatant violation of humanitarian conventions’

The bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli army airstrikes are brought to Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18. Picture: AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana

Israel’s military has ordered an evacuation of parts of eastern Gaza, hours after launching a wave of airstrikes that killed more than 400 people, shattering the pause in hostilities since mid-January in the devastated Palestinian territory.

The evacuation orders, which cover the northern town of Beit Hanoun and other communities further south, suggest that Israeli troops may launch renewed ground operations within hours.