Israeli army officials said they were resuming fighting in the Gaza Strip on Friday morning after a temporary truce with Hamas that paved the way for the release of hostages collapsed, CNN reports.
Israeli jets were in the skies over northwestern Gaza and military vehicles fired on the area minutes after the truce expired on Friday, according to Gaza’s interior ministry. The Israeli side said the Israel Army defence system intercepted one rocket fired from the Gaza Strip an hour before the truce expired. Hamas officials gave no immediate response to the rocket fire allegations.
Israel said it would resume hostilities in Gaza unless Hamas could provide 10 hostages for each additional day of the pause. After 7 a.m. local time (midnight Eastern time), hostilities resumed almost immediately.
A temporary truce that began last Friday was extended for two days following the release of some captives held by Hamas. On Thursday, an agreement was reached to extend the truce for a seventh day. It marked the first major diplomatic breakthrough in the latest conflict, which began on 7 October when Hamas stormed into Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking some 240 hostages.
More than 14,800 people have died in Gaza since 7 October, including 6,000 children, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry. The truce brought temporary respite to the besieged Gaza Strip, which has been relentlessly pounded by Israeli troops since the Hamas attack. As the truce expired, both Israel and Hamas said they were ready for renewed fighting.
Israel and Hamas have said they are ready for a resumption of hostilities. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Thursday:
“We should be prepared for a quick transition into full scale fighting at any point, today, tomorrow, at any moment. As soon as we maximize the move to return hostages we will resume fierce fighting across the whole Gaza Strip.”
Hamas also ordered its forces on Thursday to “remain on high alert” in the final hours of the truce, the al-Qassam Brigade reported on Telegram.
Egyptian and Qatari negotiators had pushed for the pause in fighting in Gaza to be extended for another two days to facilitate the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, as well as to allow more aid into the Strip.
However, negotiators warned that extending the truce for an eighth day could prove difficult. The day before, Hamas had claimed until the last minute that it was having trouble finding 10 women and children hostages – a condition Israel insisted on fulfilling – to extend the truce.
A member of the Israeli parliament said the government was willing to discuss other frameworks for the release of men and soldiers held by militants – provided the hostage releases continue. Danny Danon said:
“Hamas wants to set new terms for the men and the Israeli soldiers. We are close to the end of the current phase of the deal. They want a different equation. Now we have one Israeli hostage for three Palestinian prisoners, and they want to try and change that ratio. As long as they can provide hostages, we are willing to talk.”
During the seven-day pause, 80 Israelis – mostly women and children, some with dual citizenship – and 24 other foreign nationals were released. Another Israeli with dual citizenship was released outside the agreed deal.
As of Thursday, 240 Palestinians – mostly women and minors – had been released from Israeli prisons. Under the terms of the truce, Israel must release three Palestinians for every Israeli hostage released.
