Fighting in the Gaza Strip resumed on Friday immediately after the expiration of a week-long truce agreed by Israel and Hamas for the exchange of hostages for prisoners. Within hours of the return of the attacks, at least 29 Palestinians were killed.
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Hamas violated the operational pause and fired into Israeli territory. The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) resumed fighting the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip," the IDF said in a statement.
The announcement came after the IDF intercepted a rocket fired from Gaza, the first since the ceasefire began on Nov. 24.
A source close to Hamas told the AFP news agency that the organization's armed wing was "ordered to resume fighting" and "defend the Gaza Strip."
Meanwhile, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said shortly afterwards that 29 people had been killed in the Gaza Strip since fighting resumed on Friday.
Fighting resumed in the Gaza Strip. Photo:. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled.
The ministry said it counted seven dead in the north (Jabaliya and Gaza City), 12 in the south (Khan Younis and Rafah) and another <> in the center of the enclave (al-Maghazi).
The attempt to extend the truce failed
The return of the offensive ended any hope of extending the seven-day truce that allowed dozens of hostages to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, while facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
However, negotiations between the two sides, with mediators from Qatar and Egypt, were continuing on Friday, according to a source briefed on the talks.
The truce marked a lull in fighting that began Oct. 7 when Hamas militants stormed Israel in a surprise attack that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 240.
The Gaza Strip is once again at war. Photo: John MACDOUGALL / AFP.
In response, Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas and unleashed a campaign of air and ground attacks on Gaza that the Hamas government says has left more than 15,000 people dead, mostly civilians.
During the Qatar-brokered truce, 80 Israeli hostages were released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
More than 20 foreigners, mostly Thais living in Israel, were released outside the swap deal.
For its part, Israel made it clear that the truce was a temporary pause to ensure the release of the hostages.
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We swear to eliminate Hamas and nothing will stop us," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video released by his office.
Meanwhile, The New York Times published a report Thursday saying Israel received information that Hamas was preparing a major attack before the Oct. 7 raid that sparked the war, but ignored the warning.
With information from AFP.