The US State Department on Wednesday placed responsibility on Hamas for the deaths of Gazans in the surprise Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight Tuesday. Hamas claims 400 people were killed in the strikes. “It’s a shame that Hamas has allowed this to occur, but look nowhere else other than the people who have facilitated this suffering from the beginning,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said during a press briefing, as quoted by JNS . Bruce accused Hamas of using civilians “as cannon fodder” to serve the interests of those seeking to perpetuate the conflict. Her remarks came in the wake of the collapse of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, brokered by the Trump administration in January. The ceasefire unraveled after Hamas rejected a proposal from US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff which would have extended the first phase of the ceasefire to allow negotiations on the next stage to proceed. “It was not a dynamic that was clearly going to end well in their rejecting it, but they did so anyway, and it’s a horrible result,” Bruce said, referring to Hamas’ decision. When asked by JNS about the Trump administration’s strategy to reinstate the ceasefire—whether by pressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for concessions or urging Qatar to exert pressure on Hamas—Bruce emphasized that Trump is committed to a long-term resolution. “President Trump is not just wanting a peaceful day or a peaceful week. The world has to be done with this situation,” Bruce stated, asserting that both Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio understand the historical stakes and are determined to take a different approach. “The region understands this, and the Trump administration has this window to change the trajectory of what has been for decades and decades—coming up on 100 years—of carnage that is now unacceptable,” she added. “So if it’s going to be done, everything that is necessary to get it done will be delivered by President Trump.” Bruce noted that Witkoff’s original bridge proposal remains an option should Hamas choose to accept it. “It certainly is something that can be revisited,” she said. Netanyahu addressed the nation on Tuesday evening following the surprise strikes on Gaza, saying, "We returned to fighting with strength, on the recommendation of security officials." Related articles: Majority of Israelis support fighting until deal can be reached If Hamas continues its refusal, we'll take more land from Gaza UN worker injured in Gaza has Nazi tattoos Report: Egypt willing to temporarily accept half a million Gazans "This is just the beginning. We will continue to fight to achieve the goals of the war and the promise that Gaza will not pose a threat to Israel," he said. "From now on, negotiations will only take place under fire." "We extended the ceasefire in the weeks in which we did not receive any hostages, we sent delegations to Doha, we accepted the proposal of US envoy Witkoff, but on the other hand Hamas rejected every proposal. I accepted the recommendation of the IDF and the security establishment to return to fighting," Netanyahu added.
