On Friday, the 1st of December, Israel resumed combat operations in Gaza following alleged rocket attacks by Palestinian militants and violations of the ceasefire agreement regarding the release of hostages. The seven-day pause, which began on the 24th of November and was extended twice, facilitated not only the hostage-prisoners exchange but also the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, reports Reuters.
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel had resumed combat operations in the wake of a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip shortly before the truce expired, and the statement reiterated the objectives of freeing hostages, destroying Hamas, and ensuring that militants from the Gaza Strip do not threaten Israel.
HAMAS HAS STATED THAT ISRAEL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENDING THE truce,
because it has rejected the conditions for the release of the hostages and the extension of the truce. The message on the group’s website was defiant, with a member of Hamas’ political bureau stating that Israel would not achieve its objectives if it continued its aggression after the truce, comparing it with the previous fifty days.
According to Reuters Palestinian media and the Gaza Interior Ministry have reported that Israeli air and artillery strikes are targeting various areas of the Gaza Strip, including Rafah on the border with Egypt. Smoke clouds were reported over the southern Gaza Strip and Jabaliya camp; 35 casualties and injuries were reported.
The Israeli armed forces confirmed that they attacked Hamas targets.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas in response to the 7th of October attack, claiming that militants killed 1 200 people and took 240 hostages. Before the truce Israel bombed the Gaza Strip for seven weeks, killing more than 15 000 Palestinians, according to Hamas-led health authorities.
During the temporary ceasefire, 105 hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners were released in an exchange facilitated by Qatar and Egypt. The last group of eight hostages and 30 Palestinian prisoners were released on Thursday, according to Reuters.
The release of the hostages was a key condition for the cessation
of the Israeli hostilities. According to Reuters in the last hour of the ceasefire, the mediators failed to find a formula to proceed with the release of the hostages, possibly including Israeli men, as there are now fewer women and children in captivity.
While the truce has facilitated the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, aid workers stress that supplies of essential goods such as food, water, medical supplies, and fuel remain scarce.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has refrained from commenting on the collapse of the truce. The previous day, Blinken had urged Israel to step up protection of civilians in the event of renewed hostilities and expressed hope that the truce would be extended, according to Reuters.
In a separate case, Hamas claimed responsibility for a shooting attack in Jerusalem that killed four people. Israel has stressed that this is a reason to destroy the militant group. However, according to Reuters, this event did not appear to have affected the truce or the release of prisoners.
Read also: Israel and Hamas agree again to extend the truce
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