Israel resumed combat operations against Hamas at the end of the truce

On Friday it was reported the resumption of fighting in Gaza when the Israeli military said it had restarted combat operations against Hamas, after accusing the Palestinian militant group of violating a temporary truce by firing into Israeli territory, according to CNN.

The seven-day pause, which began on November 24 and was extended twice, allowed the exchange of dozens of hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and facilitated the entry of humanitarian aid to the devastated coastal strip.

Minutes after a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas broke down on Friday, Israeli military vehicles were firing in northwest Gazaaccording to the Interior Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

In a statement, the ministry also said that Israeli planes were flying over the area.

Hamas’ statement comes as the Israeli military said it had resumed combat operations against the militant group, accusing it of violating the truce agreement by firing into Israel.

One hour before the truce ended at 7 am (0500 GMT), Israel said it intercepted a rocket fired from Gaza.

More sirens warning of incoming rockets sounded again in Israeli areas near Gaza just minutes before the deadline, the Israeli military said.

End of truce leaves hostages unreleased and Gaza without help

Egyptian and Qatari negotiators had been pushing to extend the pause in fighting in Gaza for two more days. to facilitate the release of more Palestinian hostages and prisonersand to allow more aid to reach the Gaza Strip, according to the Egyptian State Information Service.

Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that a condition for any extension of the pause in fighting is that Hamas must release 10 Israeli women and children held hostage per day.

Under the terms of the deal, Israel freed three Palestinians for every Israeli hostage released.

As the expiration of the truce approached, Both Israel and Hamas have indicated they are prepared to resume fighting.

“We must be prepared for a rapid transition to full-scale combat at any time, today, tomorrow, at any time. As soon as we maximize the measure to return the hostages, we will resume fierce fighting throughout the Gaza Strip,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Thursday.

Hamas’s military wing on Thursday called on its forces to maintain a high combat readiness posture.

In the seven-day lull in fighting, 80 Israelis (mainly women and children, some of whom have dual citizenship) and another 24 foreigners have been released. Another dual Israeli citizen was also released outside the deal.

Until Thursday, 240 Palestinians had been released from Israeli prisons, mostly women and minors.

Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas, which rules Gaza, in response to the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack, when Israel said gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages.

Israel responded with intense bombing and a ground invasion. Palestinian health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations say more than 15,000 Gazans have been confirmed dead.

Keep reading:

– Israel learned about Hamas’ attack plans a year ago and ignored them: The New York Times
– Half of Americans support Israel’s war, according to Gallup poll
– Israel and Hamas agree to extend the humanitarian pause in Gaza for one more day