The temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, which began on November 24 and was extended for another day. on Thursday, came to an end on Friday as gunfire and explosions rocked Gaza. Earlier, a source close to the terror group told news agency AFP that Hamas was willing to extend the truce further. The seven-day pause saw dozens of Israeli hostages exchanged for more than 200 Palestinian prisoners.
Since its attack on Israel, the Hamas terror group took nearly 240 people hostages. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza, In Israel, nearly 1,200 people have been killed, mostly during the initial incursion by Hamas.
Israel on Friday resumed its combat against Hamas terrorists in Gaza after the military accused the terror group of violating a seven-day temporary truce by firing towards Israeli territory. The Israeli military said it was investigating after a rocket siren sounded in the community of Holit, near the southern Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, gunfire and explosions were being heard in the northern Gaza Strip.
According to the Times of Israel, Hamas did not provide Israel the list of hostages to be released today. The Israeli military also instructed that schools in much of central and southern Israel will open only if students can reach sheltered spaces in time in case of rocket attacks.
The seven-day pause, which began on November 24 and was extended twice, had allowed for the exchange of dozens of hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and facilitated the entry of humanitarian aid into the shattered coastal strip.
A source close to Hamas earlier told news agency AFP that the terror group was "willing to extend the truce" in fighting with Israel. This came hours before the latest ceasefire extension was due to expire. Talking to AFP, the source said, "The mediators are currently making strong, intense and continuous efforts for an additional day in the truce and then working to extend it again for other days."
Following the two last-minute extensions, both sides on Thursday marked the seventh day of a Qatari-mediated truce with the exchange of eight hostages and 30 Palestinian prisoners as well as the infusion of more humanitarian aid into the shattered Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official reiterated plans to resume the war unless Hamas agreed to release more hostages. According to the Times of Israel, a spokesperson for the Israeli military said, "At this hour, we are progressing and awaiting the release of additional hostages who are due to return as part of the agreed-upon deal."
He further said that overnight, the Israeli military "insisted" on carrying out the current deal with Hamas, in which the terror group is set to release the women and children it is holding hostage.
"We will do so tomorrow as well. The mediators, Qatar and Egypt, are also obligated to carry out the deal, so that the ceasefire can continue. The IDF is ready to resume the fighting. We are prepared to attack at any hour, tonight as well," the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the massive loss of civilian life and displacement should not be repeated by the Israeli military, as they would continue their operations in southern Gaza.
Blinken also urged Israel to create safe zones for Palestinian civilians in Gaza before it resumes "major military operations" in the Hamas-ruled territory.
"We discussed the details of Israel's ongoing planning and I underscored the imperative for the United States that the massive loss of civilian life and displacement of the scale that we saw in northern Gaza not be repeated in the South. The country must put in place humanitarian civilian protection plans that minimise further casualties of innocent Palestinians, including by clearly and precisely designating areas and places in southern and central Gaza, where they can be safe and out of the line of fire," Blinken said during a news conference in Tel Aviv, following a marathon day of meetings with senior Israeli leaders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after meeting Blinken, released a statement, reiterating his country's intent on destroying Hamas. "I have just concluded a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, shortly after Hamas murderers murdered people here in Jerusalem. I told him that it is the same Hamas. I told him we have sworn, and I have sworn, to destroy Hamas. Nothing will stop us," Netanyahu said.
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who met Blinken during the latter's visit to Israel, told him that Israel will take as long as needed to win the war in Gaza against Hamas.
"We are going to fight Hamas until we prevail — no matter how long it takes. We will continue this war until we win, defeat the Hamas organisation, deprive it of its governing and military capabilities and bring back all the hostages. We know that in terms of the goals of the operation, we are united with the US, and we really appreciate that," Gallant said, while thanking both Blinken and US President Joe Biden for their support.
On Thursday, Hamas released eight Israeli hostages in Gaza under a last-minute extension of a truce deal and Israel freed 30 Palestinian prisoners as negotiators sought to renew the pause in fighting again. Israel identified two women who were released first on Thursday as 21-year-old Mia Schem, among those seized at a dance party that Hamas militants attacked on October 7, and 40-year-old Amit Soussana.
Hamas then freed six more hostages, transferring them to the Red Cross, the Israeli military said. Four were women aged 29 to 41 including one Mexican-Israeli dual national, according to official information. The other two newly released hostages were a brother and sister, Belal and Aisha al-Ziadna, aged 18 and 17 respectively, according to the Israeli prime minister's office.
The White House has condemned the deadly attack by two Palestinian gunmen on people waiting for buses along a main highway entering Jerusalem, saying the attack was "stark reminder" of the enemy Israel is facing.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday's attack, which Hamas claimed responsibility for, "technically" did not violate the terms of the ongoing truce between Israel and Hamas, which only covers Gaza. He also expressed hope that the truce, which was extended for a seventh day on Thursday, will be extended again.
"I mean, if anybody’s guessing and wondering whether Hamas still has murderous intentions against the Israeli people, just look at what happened in Jerusalem today. We're working on it literally by the hour to see if we can get this seventh day turned into an eighth and ninth and 10th and beyond," Kirby said.
Karim Khan, the chief of International Criminal Court (ICC) is set to vist Israel at the request of Israeli survivors and the families of victims of the Hamas attacks. According to the ICC, Khan will also visit Ramallah in the occupied West Bank to meet with senior Palestinian officials. It further said the visit will not be investigative and that it "represents (an) opportunity to express sympathy for all victims and engage in dialogue."
Last month, Israeli families of victims of the Hamas attacks appealed to the ICC to order an investigation into the killings and abductions. The families had urged Khan to focus his investigation on Hamas's October 7 actions in southern Israel, including enforced disappearances, which the court views as a crime against humanity.
On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces said they fired an interceptor missile at a target following a "suspicious identification" in the skies of southern Israel earlier. An alert was activated in open areas as a result of the interceptor missile, due to fears of falling shrapnel. Residents of the Netivot area reported seeing a blast in the sky.
The Israeli military further said the details surrounding the incident were under investigation, the Times of Israel reported.
