The military stated that shortly after a week-long truce ended, Israeli fighter jets struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Friday, signalling the start of the full-scale return of hostilities.
According to the Interior Ministry in the Hamas-run region, airstrikes struck southern Gaza, including the village of Abassan east of the town of Khan Younis. Northwest of Gaza City, a house was struck by another strike.
Black smoke billowed from the Gaza Strip, and loud, continuous explosions could be heard there.
Three communal farms near Gaza in Israel heard alarms warning of impending missile fire; this may indicate that Hamas had also restarted its strikes.
Israeli Military Engages in Overnight Clashes with Gaza Militants
Thirty minutes after the cease-fire ended at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) on Friday, the Israeli military announced the strikes.
It was also anticipated that Hamas, the extremist organisation that has controlled Gaza for 16 years, would want a greater ransom for the other hostages, particularly Israeli soldiers. More than 100 captives were released as part of the truce, leaving about 140 hostages in Gaza.
The truce was intended to be extended by an additional two days by Qatar and Egypt, who have been instrumental in serving as mediators.
The United States, Israel’s principal ally, has been putting increasing pressure on Israel to take additional precautions to safeguard Palestinian civilians when it reopens its attacks on Hamas.
On his third trip to the area since the commencement of War Two months ago, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other high-ranking officials on Thursday.
Russia-Ukraine War: Both Country Reach Agreements On Cease-Fire
While expressing hope at the time that the cease-fire could be extended, Blinken said that if Israel resumed the war and moved against southern Gaza to pursue Hamas, it must do so in “compliance with international humanitarian law” and must have “a clear plan in place” to protect civilians. He said Israeli leaders understood that ”the massive levels of civilian life and displacement scale we saw in the north must not be repeated in the south.”
Israel had declared it would uphold the ceasefire until Hamas ceased freeing prisoners, at which point it would recommence its drive to destroy Hamas, despite the Biden administration’s insistence that it act far more precisely if it did so.
Since the majority of Gaza’s population is currently trapped in the south with no way out, it is unclear how an Israeli offensive there could prevent a significant number of civilian deaths.
The family of the captives have put tremendous pressure on Netanyahu to free them. However, his far-right allies in government were also pressuring him to keep fighting until Hamas is vanquished, and they threatened to break up his alliance if he was perceived as giving in too much.
Israel, Hamas Agree Truce In Ongoing War, To Release Hostages
During the truce, 83 Israelis—including dual citizens—were set free; the majority of them seemed physically healthy but uneasy. A total of 24 hostages, including numerous men, were freed: 23 Thais and 1 Filipino.
How many of the surviving female hostages are military is unknown.
According to Israel, over 125 men are still being held captive.
Four hostages were freed by Hamas before to the cease-fire, while one was saved by the Israeli forces. Two more bodies were discovered in Gaza.
The majority of the 240 Palestinians freed under the cease-fire so far were youths who were charged with hurling firebombs and stones at Israeli soldiers. Military courts found some of the released women guilty of trying to assault soldiers, some of whom had been seen with knives or scissors close to security posts.
In a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, Hamas and other Palestinian militants killed approximately 1,200 people, the majority of whom were civilians, and captured approximately 240 more. This marked the beginning of the war. The figures provided by authorities are approximations only.
Russia-Ukraine War: Both Country Reach Agreements On Cease-Fire
Since then, about 13,300 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Gaza; around two-thirds of these deaths were women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Following weeks of Israeli shelling and a ground campaign, more than three-quarters of the 2.3 million people living there have been forced to flee, creating a humanitarian disaster.
Since officials have only seldom updated the total since November 11, the toll is probably far higher. According to the ministry, hundreds more individuals are thought to be dead beneath the debris.
Israel claims that the ground offensive has claimed the lives of 77 of its soldiers. It makes the unsupported claim that it has killed thousands of insurgents.
The humanitarian crisis in the region is not resolved by the periodic truces, according to Palestinians in Gaza, who are calling for a permanent halt to the conflict. More than 1.8 million people have left their homes, with over a million taking refuge in UN schools while battling to obtain necessities like bread and cooking gas.
LATEST: South East Lawyers Call For Truce Over Insecurity In Region
Frankel reported from Jerusalem, and Mroue from Lebanon. This report was written by Associated Press journalists David Rising in Bangkok and Matthew Lee in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Follow us on Facebook
Post Disclaimer
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Anaedo Online or official policies of the Anaedo Online.