War Between Israel and Hamas Resumes After Brief Cease-Fire
The brief halt in hostilities between Israel and Hamas ended on Friday morning, following a week of a temporary cease-fire. Both sides confirmed that combat had resumed after Israel accused the militant group of breaching the truce. The Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip killed 32 people, while rocket warning sirens blared in southern Israel.
Approximately an hour before the scheduled expiration of the cease-fire at 7 a.m. local time, the Israeli military detected and intercepted a rocket fired towards Israeli territory from Gaza. Subsequently, air raid sirens were heard in southern Israel, and schools in central Israel were advised to open only if they had bomb shelters or hold classes remotely.
“Hamas violated the operational pause and, in addition, fired towards Israeli territory,” the IDF posted on social media. “The IDF has resumed combat against the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip.”
The government of Qatar, where cease-fire negotiations had taken place, expressed “deep regret” over the resumption of hostilities. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on his third visit to Israel since the war began, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged Israel to protect civilians in Gaza.
Despite Hamas’ claim that negotiations took place throughout the night to extend the pause in fighting, they were unsuccessful. The resumption of the war was attributed to Israel and the U.S. administration’s “absolute support for Israel.” The Chief of the International Committee for the Red Cross voiced concerns over Gaza’s precarious state following the resumption of hostilities.
In Egypt, officials reported that truck convoys carrying humanitarian essentials, which had been allowed to enter Gaza through the Rafah border crossing during the truce, could no longer do so. Additionally, the Rafah crossing is the sole entry point to Gaza for humanitarian supplies since the war began on Oct. 7.
Incidents of violence, including a shooting in Jerusalem in which two gunmen opened fire on a crowded bus stop, strained the temporary deal. Hamas, which claimed responsibility for the attack, and Israel accused each other of violating the terms of the truce.
The 7th day of the truce saw the release of more hostages and prisoners; however, the cease-fire ended before negotiations for a third extension were agreed.
