Israel’s military has resumed its offensive against Hamas in Gaza, bringing an end to a week-long truce that international mediators had aimed to extend for an eighth day.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) asserted that Hamas violated the operational pause and fired towards Israeli territory, prompting the resumption of combat against the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip.
The renewal of hostilities disrupts a delicate truce that allowed for the release of approximately 100 Israeli women and children who were held hostage by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups. In return, about 240 Palestinian women and children were freed from Israeli jails.
The IDF reported that rockets were launched from Gaza into Israeli territory on Friday morning, prompting the military to strike Hamas terror targets within the strip. According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israeli artillery targeted civilian houses, while Al Jazeera reported Israeli jets flying over Gaza.
