KOCANI, North Macedonia (AP) — As families gathered at a hospital for updates, Tomco Stojanov already knew his son's devastating fate: 25-year-old Andrej died trying to save others in a nightclub fire that left dozens dead in North Macedonia, including many trampled during a desperate bid to escape.
“Thank you for your condolences, but my pain is incurable. The wound is incurable,” Stojanov said, holding up a photograph of his son, clean-shaven and wearing a suit jacket.
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People light candles during a vigil, joined by hundreds, for the victims of a massive nightclub fire, in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People attend a vigil, joined by hundreds, for the victims of a massive nightclub fire, in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People argue with policemen, outside the home of the owner of a nightclub that was the scene of a massive fire, after a vigil for the victims in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People argue with policemen, outside the home of the owner of a nightclub that was the scene of a massive fire, after a vigil for the victims in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People hit a car on its side while protesting near the home of the owner of a nightclub that was the scene of a massive fire, after a vigil for the victims in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Protesters hold placards as they march during protest following a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Women cry and wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Women cry during a vigil for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Dragi Stojanov, left, cries holding a photograph of his son Tomche Stojanov, one of the victims of a massive nightclub fire, during a vigil joined by hundreds in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
A girl cries as she wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
A girl cries as she wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Dragi Stojanov cries holding a photograph of his son Tomche Stojanov, one of the victims of a massive nightclub fire, during a vigil joined by hundreds in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
A woman writes in a condolence book for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A woman cries while waiting in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A woman cries while waiting in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A woman writes a condolence message for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A toy and flowers are placed next to condolence books for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire are written in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Youngsters light candles for the victims of a massive nightclub fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Tomco Stojanov who said his son Andrej died in the fire holds his portrait outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Tomco Stojanov who said his son Andrej died in the fire holds his portrait outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
A charred ventilator on the wall of a nightclub building, damaged following a massive fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A charred ventilator on the wall of a nightclub building, damaged following a massive fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Support beams are charred in the partially collapsed roof of the building of a nightclub, damaged following a massive fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
The building of a nightclub is damaged following a massive fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A cyclist goes past a banner reads: "Kocani" hanging from a fence outside the St. Clement Christian Orthodox church in Skopje, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub in the town of Kocani, early Sunday. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
A woman walks past North Macedonia flags flapping in the wind at half staff in front of a Government building in Skopje, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub in the town of Kocani, early Sunday. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Girls cry as they light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Girls cry as they light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People hug as they wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
An aerial photograph shows the damaged roof of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
An aerial photograph shows the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Macedonian Interior Minister Pance Toskovski speaks to media after a massive fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Police officers hold plastic bags on the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Maria Taseva, a 19 years-old survivor, who said her sister died in the fire, sits outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
A firefighter inspects a nightclub after a massive fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
A woman cries outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Women cry and hug outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
An aerial photograph shows the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A man cries outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People hug as they wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
"He died while returning and entering to save other people. And he was pushed, run over, that’s how my son died."
North Macedonia is grappling with the loss of dozens of young lives in Sunday's nightclub inferno in the eastern town of Kocani, and trying to hold those responsible to account and prevent another calamity.
Authorities were investigating allegations of bribery surrounding the fire in the nightclub, which was crammed with young revelers and at double capacity. Kocani's mayor resigned Monday over the emerging scandal.
Fire tore through the overcrowded Club Pulse during a live concert, leaving 59 people dead and more than 150 injured from burns, smoke inhalation and being trampled in the panicked rush toward the building’s single exit.
Videos showed sparkling pyrotechnics on the stage hitting the club's ceiling and igniting the blaze as a band played.
Bribes to authorities to skip licensing requirements and skirt safety regulations are commonplace in North Macedonia, practices that have caught the attention of Western governments.
The European Union has repeatedly expressed concerns over pervasive corruption in the country, identifying it as a major obstacle to the country’s accession to the bloc.
Silent protests against corruption were held Monday in Kocani, joined by thousands of residents and separately by university students in Skopje.
“Justice is expected, that is what we all expect so that there are no such similar situations in the future,” Stavre Janev said at the Kocani protest.
The protesters' anger boiled over, with some toppling a van and smashing windows of a storefront — both belonging to one of the club owners.
The latest in a string of deadly nightclub fires around the world, Sunday's tragedy shook this nation of 2 million, where close-knit extended family bonds made the disaster personal to many. Clubgoers as young as 16 were among the casualties, and the nation declared seven days of mourning.
“We are all in shock, and I am shocked myself: as a mother, as a person, as a president,” North Macedonian President Gordana Davkova Siljanovska said in an address to the nation Sunday night.
North Macedonia’s government ordered a sweeping three-day inspection to be carried out at all nightclubs and cabarets across the country, starting Monday.
State prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said a preliminary inspection of the Club Pulse nightclub had revealed numerous safety code violations, including a lack of emergency exits, an insufficient number of fire extinguishers and improper access for emergency vehicles.
The fire caused the roof of the single-story building to partially collapse, revealing the charred remains of wooden beams and debris.
“The omissions are significant. I can confidently say that this is a failure of the system,” the prosecutor told reporters, also noting the lack of an overhead extinguisher system and fire alarms, and the use of flammable materials to line the inside walls.
Speaking to reporters in Skopje, Interior Minister Panche Toshevski said it appeared the club’s owners paid bribes to former officials to issue a forged license and turn a blind eye to the venue operating far beyond capacity and in violation of fire code. Former economy minister Khreshnik Beteshi was being questioned at a police station in Skopje, his lawyer Elenko Milanov told reporters.
The country was in mourning as people watched harrowing scenes in the town of 25,000 people, where rescuers for hours carried out the grim task of removing the charred bodies of clubgoers.
A state coroner said the bodies were being brought for identification in batches from morgues due to the high number of people killed.
Flags around the country have been lowered to half-staff, and the death toll may rise further, with 20 of the injured in critical condition, Health Minister Arben Taravari said.
Neighboring and nearby countries — Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Turkey — along with a number of others have already accepted some 50 patients with the most serious injuries, while several countries are also sending medical teams to North Macedonia, officials said.
“All patients who have been transferred abroad are currently in stable condition. We hope it stays that way and that we will receive positive news from abroad,” Taravari said.
Officials said 10 people remain in police custody for questioning in Kocani, some 115 kilometers (72 miles) east of the capital, Skopje. Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski added that a preliminary inspection revealed the club was operating without a proper license. He said the number of people inside the club was at least double its official capacity of 250.
Condolences poured in from leaders around Europe as well as from the office of the hospitalized Pope Francis.
Late Sunday, Kocani's residents held a candlelight vigil in support of mourning families, waiting in long lines to light church candles.
Beti Delovska, an economist from Skopje, said North Macedonia has never experienced a tragedy like this, with dozens of young people vanishing in minutes. She noted that many young people with bright futures had already left the nation, in search of opportunities elsewhere.
North Macedonia “is on its death bed,” Delovska said. “We have no more credible institutions, the health system is completely dismantled, education is poor, judiciary is partisan and corrupt to the bone,” she said.
"I do believe now that only God can save (North) Macedonia.”
Testorides reported from Skopje, North Macedonia
People light candles during a vigil, joined by hundreds, for the victims of a massive nightclub fire, in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People attend a vigil, joined by hundreds, for the victims of a massive nightclub fire, in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People argue with policemen, outside the home of the owner of a nightclub that was the scene of a massive fire, after a vigil for the victims in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People argue with policemen, outside the home of the owner of a nightclub that was the scene of a massive fire, after a vigil for the victims in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People hit a car on its side while protesting near the home of the owner of a nightclub that was the scene of a massive fire, after a vigil for the victims in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Protesters hold placards as they march during protest following a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Women cry and wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Women cry during a vigil for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Dragi Stojanov, left, cries holding a photograph of his son Tomche Stojanov, one of the victims of a massive nightclub fire, during a vigil joined by hundreds in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
A girl cries as she wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
A girl cries as she wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Dragi Stojanov cries holding a photograph of his son Tomche Stojanov, one of the victims of a massive nightclub fire, during a vigil joined by hundreds in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Relatives of victims leave a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
A woman writes in a condolence book for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A woman cries while waiting in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A woman cries while waiting in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A woman writes a condolence message for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A toy and flowers are placed next to condolence books for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait in line to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire are written in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait to write condolence messages for the victims of a massive nightclub fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Youngsters light candles for the victims of a massive nightclub fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Tomco Stojanov who said his son Andrej died in the fire holds his portrait outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Tomco Stojanov who said his son Andrej died in the fire holds his portrait outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
A charred ventilator on the wall of a nightclub building, damaged following a massive fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A charred ventilator on the wall of a nightclub building, damaged following a massive fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Support beams are charred in the partially collapsed roof of the building of a nightclub, damaged following a massive fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
The building of a nightclub is damaged following a massive fire early Sunday in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A cyclist goes past a banner reads: "Kocani" hanging from a fence outside the St. Clement Christian Orthodox church in Skopje, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub in the town of Kocani, early Sunday. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
A woman walks past North Macedonia flags flapping in the wind at half staff in front of a Government building in Skopje, North Macedonia, Monday, March 17, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub in the town of Kocani, early Sunday. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Girls cry as they light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Girls cry as they light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People hug as they wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
An aerial photograph shows the damaged roof of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
An aerial photograph shows the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Macedonian Interior Minister Pance Toskovski speaks to media after a massive fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Police officers hold plastic bags on the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Maria Taseva, a 19 years-old survivor, who said her sister died in the fire, sits outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
A firefighter inspects a nightclub after a massive fire in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
A woman cries outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Women cry and hug outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
An aerial photograph shows the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
A man cries outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
People hug as they wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing at least 326 Palestinians, including women and children, according to hospital officials. The surprise bombardment shattered a ceasefire in place since January and threatened to fully reignite the 17-month-old war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes after Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the ceasefire agreement. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel's actions.
The Israeli military ordered people to evacuate eastern Gaza, including much of the northern town of Beit Hanoun and other communities further south, and head toward the center of the territory, indicating that Israel could soon launch renewed ground operations.
“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Netanyahu’s office said.
The attack during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan could resume a war that has already killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza. It also raised questions about the fate of the roughly two dozen Israeli hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive.
A senior Hamas official said Netanyahu’s decision to return to war amounts to a “death sentence” for the remaining hostages. Izzat al-Risheq accused Netanyahu of launching the strikes to try and save his far-right governing coalition and called on mediators to “reveal facts” on who broke the truce.
There were no reports of any attacks by Hamas several hours after the bombardment, indicating it still hoped to restore the truce.
The strikes came as Netanyahu comes under mounting domestic pressure, with mass protests planned over his handling of the hostage crisis and his decision to fire the head of Israel's internal security agency. His latest testimony in a long-running corruption trial was canceled after the strikes.
The main group representing families of the captives accused the government of backing out of the ceasefire, saying it “chose to give up on the hostages.”
“We are shocked, angry and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.
A strike on a home in the southern city of Rafah killed 17 members of one family, including at least 12 women and children, according to the European Hospital, which received the bodies. The dead included five children, their parents, and another father and his three children.
In the southern city of Khan Younis, Associated Press reporters saw explosions and plumes of smoke. Ambulances brought wounded people to Nasser Hospital, where patients lay on the floor, some screaming. A young girl cried as her bloody arm was bandaged.
Many Palestinians said they had expected a return to war when talks over the second phase of the ceasefire did not begin as scheduled in early February. Israel instead embraced an alternative proposal and cut off all shipments of food, fuel and other aid to the territory's 2 million Palestinians to try to pressure Hamas to accept it.
“Nobody wants to fight,” Palestinian resident Nidal Alzaanin told the AP by phone from Gaza City. "Everyone is still suffering from the previous months,” he said.
Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 326 people were killed in the strikes and hundreds more wounded. Rescuers were still searching the rubble for dead and wounded as the strikes continued. It was among the deadliest days of the war.
The White House sought to blame Hamas for the renewed fighting. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the militant group "could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.”
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the unfolding operation, said Israel was striking Hamas' military, leaders and infrastructure and planned to expand the operation beyond air attacks. The official accused Hamas of attempting to rebuild and plan new attacks. Hamas militants and security forces quickly returned to the streets in recent weeks after the ceasefire went into effect.
A second Israeli official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting, said Netanyahu would meet with top security officials to discuss next steps in the war.
The strikes came two months after a ceasefire was reached to pause the war. Over six weeks, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in a first phase of the ceasefire.
But since that ceasefire ended two weeks ago, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward with a second phase aimed at releasing the 59 remaining hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead, and ending the war altogether.
Hamas has demanded an end to the war and full withdrawal of Israeli troops in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages. Israel says it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas' governing and military capabilities and frees all hostages — two goals that could be incompatible.
Netanyahu's office on Tuesday said Hamas had “repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the U.S. presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators.”
Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Hamas instead wants to follow the ceasefire deal reached by the two sides, which calls for negotiations to begin on the ceasefire’s more difficult second phase, in which the remaining hostages would be released and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza.
A return to war would allow Netanyahu to avoid the tough trade-offs called for in the second phase of the agreement and the thorny question of who would govern Gaza. It would also shore up his coalition, which depends on far-right lawmakers who want to depopulate Gaza and re-build Jewish settlements there.
The war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most have been released in ceasefires or other deals, with israeli forces rescuing only eight and recovering dozens of bodies.
Israel responded with a military offensive that killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza's population. The territory's Health Ministry doesn't differentiate between civilians and militants, but says over half of the dead have been women and children.
The ceasefire had brought some relief to Gaza and allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to resume to what remained of their homes.
The released hostages, some of whom were emaciated, have repeatedly implored the government to press ahead with the ceasefire to return all remaining captives. Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken part in mass demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and return of all hostages.
Mass demonstrations are planned later Tuesday and Wednesday following Netanyahu's announcement this week that he wants to fire the head of Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency. Critics have lambasted the move as an attempt by Netanyahu to divert blame for his government's failures in the Oct. 7 attack and handling of the war.
Since the ceasefire in Gaza began in mid-January, Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military says approached its troops or entered unauthorized areas.
Still, the deal has tenuously held without an outbreak of wide violence. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate the next steps in the ceasefire.
Federman reported from Jerusalem and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press reporters Mohammad Jahjouh in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip; Abdel Kareem Hana in Gaza City, Gaza Strip; Fatma Khaled in Cairo; and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed.
Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
A woman reacts as she stands over the bodies of people killed during overnight Israeli army airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
A woman carries the body of a child to Al-Ahli hospital following overnight Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
A woman reacts over the body of a person killed during overnight Israeli army airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
A woman reacts next to bodies of Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli army airstrikes are brought to the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Mourners gather around the bodies of Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli army airstrikes as they are brought to Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Mourners gather around the bodies of Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli army airstrikes as they are brought to Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians inspect the damage at Al-Tabi'in School in central Gaza Strip following an Israeli airstrike, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians inspect the damage at Al-Tabi'in School in central Gaza Strip following an Israeli airstrike, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
A man carries a covered body following overnight Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT.- A man carries the body of a child to the Al-Ahli hospital following multiple overnight Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Bodies of people killed during overnight Israeli army airstrikes across the Gaza Strip are left in the yard of the the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians inspect the damage at Al-Tabi'in School in central Gaza Strip following an Israeli airstrike, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians inspect the damage at Al-Tabi'in School in central Gaza Strip following an Israeli airstrike, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
People gather around the bodies of Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli army airstrikes as they are brought to the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A Palestinian man holds the body of his 11 month-old nephew Mohammad Shaban, killed in an Israeli army airstrikes at the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli army airstrikes are brought to Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Injured Palestinians wait for treatment at the hospital following Israeli army airstrikes in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammad Jahjouh)
The bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli army airstrikes are brought to Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A body of a Palestinian killed in an Israeli army airstrikes is brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli army airstrikes are brought to Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians mourn their relative who was killed in an Israeli army airstrikes, at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli army airstrikes are brought to Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli army airstrikes are brought to Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli army airstrikes are brought to Shifa hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT.- Palestinians hold the hands of their relative who was killed in an Israeli army airstrike, at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Karem Hanna)
A body of a Palestinian killed in an Israeli army airstrikes is brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
An injured man waits for treatment on the floor of a hospital following Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammad Jahjouh)
Injured Palestinians wait for treatment at the hospital following Israeli army airstrikes in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammad Jahjouh)
A man mourns over the body of a child, lying among other victims at the hospital morgue, following Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammad Jahjouh)
A man mourns as he places the body of a child in the hospital morgue following Israeli army airstrikes in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammad Jahjouh)
An ambulance carrying victims of an Israeli army strike arrives at the hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday March 18, 2025.(AP Photo/ Mohammad Jahjouh)
A dead person killed during an Israeli army strike is taken into the hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday March 18, 2025.(AP Photo/ Mohammad Jahjouh)
A dead person killed during an Israeli army strike is taken into the hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday March 18, 2025.(AP Photo/ Mohammad Jahjouh)