Israeli airstrikes kill hundreds in Gaza as Hamas ceasefire talks stall

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas takes a deadly turn as Israel launches attacks against Hamas in Gaza. And the two American astronauts, stranded at the International Space Station since June 2024, are now returning to Earth. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

Israeli airstrikes kill hundreds in Gaza as ceasefire talks with Hamas stall

The Israeli military declared a “massive offensive” in Gaza and ordered civilians in various neighborhoods to evacuate early Tuesday morning, March 18.

This just hours after Israel launched “extensive strikes” on Hamas targets inside Gaza, killing more than 320 people and injuring hundreds more, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The wave of airstrikes reportedly ended the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The White House confirmed Israel consulted the Trump administration before the latest strikes in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to use “increasing military strength” against Hamas to force the release of all the Israeli hostages still in Gaza, “living and dead.”

In a statement, Israel’s defense minister declared, “Tonight we returned to fighting in Gaza,” and said, “If Hamas does not release all the hostages, the gates of hell will open in Gaza.”

A senior Hamas official said the strikes amount to “a death sentence” for the remaining hostages.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels condemned Israel’s latest strikes on Gaza, reiterating their support for Hamas.

In a statement, the supreme political council of the Iran-backed militant group said, “The Palestinian people will not be left alone in this battle, and Yemen will continue its support and assistance and escalate confrontation steps.”

The threat emerges as tensions have escalated between the Houthis and the U.S.

Trump vows to hold Iran accountable for all Houthi aggression

Over the weekend, the Trump administration launched a series of airstrikes in Yemen after the militant group threatened to renew attacks on Israeli shipping in the Red Sea.

The Pentagon said it has struck 30 targets in Yemen since Saturday, March 15.

President Donald Trump said the Houthis had launched a campaign of piracy, violence and terrorism against American ships in the Red Sea, the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden. He said the U.S. would not tolerate it.

The Houthis’ vow to escalate the fight with Israel will come with a price for Iran.

In a post on his Truth social platform on Monday, March 17, Trump said he would hold Iran responsible for all Houthi aggression.

“Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!” Trump said.

The president also accused Iran of funding the militant group and supplying it with weapons and intelligence — all of which Tehran denies.

Trump, Putin to discuss possible ceasefire in Ukraine

President Donald Trump will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, March 18, regarding negotiations for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Trump said Washington and Moscow have already started talks about “dividing up certain assets” between Ukraine and Russia as part of a deal to resolve the conflict, and that exchanges of land and power plants will be included in today’s phone call with Putin.

“Many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains,” Trump said in a post to Truth Social on Monday.

He did not provide any specifics.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during his nightly video address on Monday, March 17, expressed doubt that Putin is ready for peace, accusing the Russian leader of prolonging the war.

Judge raises concerns Trump admin ignored order on deportation flights

A federal judge questioned whether the Trump administration disregarded his orders to turn around planes carrying deportees to El Salvador — a potential violation of the ruling he had issued, reportedly while the flights were already in the air.

The administration argued that District Judge James Boasberg‘s verbal instructions were not valid, asserting that only his written order needed to be followed.

A government lawyer also said the order could not apply to flights that had left the U.S., and he declined to answer the judge’s questions regarding the deportations due to “national security issues.”

When speaking with reporters on Monday, March 17, Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Stephen Miller, questioned the authority of a district court judge to rule on the president’s immigration policies. He stated that Trump had every right to deport alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which Trump invoked on Saturday, March 15.

“At a fundamental level, a district court judge has no authority to direct the national security operations of the executive branch. The president is operating at the apex of his authority,” Miller said. “When you are dealing with questions of invasion and questions of alien enemy infiltration, as well as the expulsion of terrorist illegal aliens from the country.”

Invoking the Alien Enemies Act could allow the Trump administration to deport any noncitizens linked to the gang. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argued this without evidence.

The judge granted a temporary order to stop the Trump administration from implementing the act. Lawyers for several Venezuelans in U.S. custody filed a lawsuit against the deportations.

The lawsuit claimed the Trump administration incorrectly labeled these individuals as Tren de Aragua members and deported them unjustly.

Astronauts stranded on ISS for nine months return home on SpaceX capsule

After spending nine months in space, American astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore are currently aboard a SpaceX capsule that departed from the International Space Station overnight on its way back to Earth.

Wilmore and Williams arrived at the ISS for a week-long mission in June 2024 aboard the new Boeing Starliner crew capsule. However, difficulties with the Starliner forced NASA to bring it back unmanned while the two astronauts remained in space.

SpaceX postponed a February 2025 return due to issues with the capsule.

Trump then urged Elon Musk to accelerate the process. Musk’s SpaceX launched a refurbished capsule that docked on Sunday, March 16, retrieving Wilmore and Williams along with two other astronauts.

The capsule will splash down off the Florida coast at around 6 p.m. ET.

With 62 hours logged over nine spacewalks, Williams has set a new record for the longest time spent spacewalking by a female astronaut.

Rare sighting: Four snow leopards captured on camera in northern Pakistan

Four snow leopards — some of the world’s most elusive animals — were captured on camera as they moved across a mountain range in northern Pakistan.

Snow leopards are native to Central and South Asia and are classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

It’s uncommon for even one to be out in the open like this — much less four.

In a social media post, the Forest, Parks, Wildlife and Environment Department Gilgit Baltistan — where the big cats were spotted — stated that the video shows the success of protection efforts.