More than 200 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-ruled enclave's Ministry of Health said, as Hamas accused Israel of violating a fragile ceasefire deal.

The deal, which took effect on January 19, included a ceasefire to halt the destruction inflicted on Gaza, the release of captives held in Gaza in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and the possibility for displaced Palestinians to return to their homes.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had ordered the aerial attacks after Hamas’s “repeated refusal” to release the remaining hostages it holds. “This is just the beginning,” he said.