JERUSALEM – Israel has been “fully coordinated” with the United States on the resumption of the intensive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, David Mencer, a spokesperson for the Israeli government, said on Tuesday.

“I can confirm that the return to intense fighting in Gaza has been fully coordinated with Washington. Israel has thanked President Donald Trump and his administration for their unyielding support for Israel,” Mencer told a press briefing.

The remarks were made after Israel launched overnight airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave, shattering a fragile ceasefire that took effect on Jan. 19. Gaza-based health authorities reported that more than 400 people were killed.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed in an interview on Fox News that the Trump administration was consulted on Monday by Israel on the deadly strikes.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, during a tour at the Tel Nof Air Force Base in southern Israel, said “Hamas must understand that the rules of the game have changed.”

He added that if the group does not “immediately free all hostages, the gates of hell will open, and it will face the full might of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) — by air, sea, and land — until its complete destruction.”

He described the surprise onslaught as “unprecedented” and said Israel “will not stop fighting until all hostages return home and all threats to residents of the south are eliminated.”

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