Israeli airstrikes kill two, injure 19 in southern Syria Over 400 dead in Gaza / updated

On March 17, Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes on a military installation in southern Syria's Daraa, killing at least two people and wounding 19 others.

At least five air raids struck military positions in Daraa, targeting the 132nd Brigade in the Airport District. Israeli jets continued to circle over southern Syria following the attack, Caliber.Az reports via Arabic media outlets.

In a statement on March 17, the Israeli military said it launched a series of airstrikes in southern Syria, "striking military targets" belonging to the Syrian army.

Warplanes struck command centres and military sites, where, according to the statement, weapons and military vehicles have been stored.

"The presence of military assets in southern Syria poses a threat to the State of Israel," the military said.

The strikes were the latest in a series of Israeli attacks on infrastructure belonging to the Syrian military.

The war monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented over 29 Israeli strikes on Syrian territory since the start of 2025, many of which targeted weapons depots and military outposts linked to the previous administration

Meanwhile, early on March 18, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched large-scale strikes on targets belonging to the Palestinian movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 404 Palestinians, including many children, and thereby shattering the fragile two-month-old ceasefire with Hamas, said Gaza's Health Ministry, adding that toll is expected to rise as many victims remain under the rubble.

The Ministry added that 562 injured people arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals so far”.

Those killed in this attack included at least 77 people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza and at least 20 people in Gaza City in the north, medical sources told Al Jazeera. Israeli strikes also hit locations in central Deir el-Balah and Rafah in the south.

The Israel-Hamas ceasefire began on January 19, 2025, as part of an agreement aimed at halting hostilities and facilitating the release of hostages. The truce was supposed to last for 42 days. Under the ceasefire, Israel committed to releasing Palestinian prisoners, particularly women, children under 19, and those not involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack. Additionally, Israel agreed to gradually withdraw forces from the Gaza Strip. Hamas, in return, began releasing Israeli hostages, prioritizing women, children, and the elderly. The initial releases included 13 Israeli hostages, including children and their mothers, along with 10 Thai and one Filipino national. Israel, in exchange, released 39 Palestinian detainees, comprising women and teenage boys.

However, the ceasefire has collapsed due to stalled negotiations over extending the truce and disagreements on further hostage releases. Israel has resumed airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, resulting in significant casualties. The conflict has reignited, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire terms.

The mutual accusations between Israel and Hamas over violating the ceasefire terms further escalated the conflict. Israel accuses Hamas of not fully adhering to the ceasefire’s provisions, particularly in terms of the hostages’ release. Israel claims that Hamas is deliberately delaying the process of freeing the remaining hostages, which is seen as a breach of the agreement. On the other hand, Hamas accuses Israel of failing to fulfill its obligations, including not releasing the agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners and continuing military operations that harm civilians. The accusations of non-compliance and the failure to meet the terms of the ceasefire have made it difficult to sustain peace efforts, and both sides are blaming each other for the breakdown in negotiations.

By Khagan Isayev