Israel, Gaza war resumes as truce with Hamas comes to an end

Gaza — Israeli fighter jets reportedly hit Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Friday shortly after a weeklong truce expired, the military said, as the war resumed in full force.

BBC reported that Israel’s military had now indicated that it had resumed fighting with Hamas in Gaza.

Shortly before the seven-day truce was set to expire, Israel said it shot down a rocket fired from Gaza while media outlets affiliated with the Hamas group reported explosions and gunfire in northern Gaza.

The truce was initially set to last for four days and extended twice.

As of Thursday, 110 hostages held in Gaza had been released since the truce started on November 24, 2023 while Israel had released 240 Palestinian prisoners.

The Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 killed 1,200 people.

Since then, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 14,800 people have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory campaign, including about 6,000 children.

In the last few minutes, the Israeli military announced an end to the truce with Hamas, blaming it for violating the terms of the deal after a rocket was reportedly launched from Gaza and intercepted by Israel.

United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who was currently on a visit to the Middle East, said on Thursday that Israeli officials had told him they intended to resume military operations at some point.

But in doing so, Blinken urged Israel to do a few things:
Put into place “humanitarian civilian protection plans” before going back to war.

Avoid “further significant displacement of civilians”

Avoid damaging critical infrastructure – hospitals, power stations and water facilities.

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