The brief halt in hostilities between Israel and Hamas concluded on Friday morning, with Israel attributing the breach of the truce to the terrorist group. According to Israel, Hamas violated the agreement by launching rockets towards Israeli territory before the specified timeframe ended.
Following the expiration of the cease-fire, the Israeli military swiftly resumed its offensive in Gaza. They initiated airstrikes on Palestinian territory, marking the first instance of such attacks since the temporary pause in hostilities commenced on November 24th.
The Israeli military reported successfully intercepting the rocket launched from Gaza just moments before the scheduled conclusion of the truce at 7 a.m.
Following this, Israel conducted airstrikes on the Abassan community in southern Gaza and targeted a residence in Gaza City, as per the information provided by the Interior Ministry in Gaza.
The echoes of continuous explosions and the emergence of thick, dark smoke once more permeated the atmosphere over the Palestinian territory, indicating the resumption of hostilities in full intensity.
In Israel, close to the Gaza border, alarms warning of incoming rocket attacks — believed to be initiated by Hamas — resonated in agricultural communities.
The resumption of hostilities signifies the conclusion of a seven-day cease-fire within an agreement brokered by Qatar and Egypt. The truce included exchanges involving hostages and prisoners.
The interruption in hostilities commenced on November 24 and was prolonged to a seventh day on Thursday. This extension came after Hamas agreed to release additional Israeli hostages, who had been abducted by their terrorists during the deadly invasion on October 7, resulting in the loss of 1,200 lives.
Over 100 Israeli hostages were liberated in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons during the truce. The individuals freed by both parties were predominantly women and children.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed that Hamas failed to fulfill its part of the agreement by not releasing all women hostages on Friday.
It is uncertain whether the remaining women under Hamas’ control include IDF soldiers. However, given the reduced number of women and the absence of child hostages in Gaza, there were concerns among mediators that negotiations might falter. Hamas might seek greater concessions for the release of adult male hostages in such a scenario.
