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Short answer
Many pro-Palestinian voices and media outlets from Islamist countries have blamed Israel for breaking the ceasefire on March 18, 2025. However, that claim is false — the ceasefire officially ended after phase one, and phase two was contingent on further negotiations. Hamas refused to release all Israeli hostages and rejected mediation efforts, effectively exploiting a ceasefire without fulfilling any obligations. This stalemate, in which Hamas benefited while holding 59 Israeli hostages, was unacceptable to the Israeli government, military, and public. As a result, the IDF resumed operations to pressure Hamas leadership into releasing the remaining captives still held since October 7.
Long answer
Before anyone rushes to blame Israel for terminating the ceasefire, it’s important to remember that the ceasefire officially ended after the first phase of the hostage release deal with Hamas. Following that phase — part of a planned multi-phase agreement — Hamas rejected all subsequent proposals to release more of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza, 24 of whom are believed to be alive. During the pause in fighting, Israel halted its operations and even released numerous violent Hamas terrorists from prison as part of the deal.
After the first phase ended, Hamas enjoyed the luxury of holding onto the hostages while benefiting from a ceasefire — without giving anything in return to justify its continuation. Israeli strikes on Gaza resumed only after multiple mediation efforts failed, including direct negotiations involving the U.S. concerning kidnapped American citizens held by Hamas.
Beyond Hamas’s bad faith on the hostage issue, several other factors seriously threatened the ceasefire’s stability:
- Rearmament – Intelligence reports showed Hamas used the ceasefire to rearm and reorganize, rebuilding military capabilities, stockpiling weapons, and reinforcing its positions in preparation for further attacks.
- Ceasefire violations – Sporadic rocket fire from Gaza into Israeli territory during the ceasefire directly violated its terms and endangered lives.
- Propaganda abuse – The gruesome, staged hostage release “ceremonies” were exploited by Hamas as propaganda tools, completely undermining the humanitarian intent of the agreement.
Given Hamas’s refusal to release additional hostages, continued threats, and violations of the ceasefire, it’s clear they were the ones who made it unworkable. Israel’s decision to resume defensive military action in Gaza on March 18, 2025, was a necessary step to protect its citizens and national security. Any normal country would do the same.
