FIGHTING resumed on Friday, December 1, between Israel and Hamas, following the expiration of the pause observed by both parties.
There was heavy fighting across the Gaza Strip as military personnel resumed operations after failed efforts to extend the truce.
In a post via its official X handle on Friday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced the resumption of combat operations, stating that Hamas had violated the pause.
“Hamas violated the operational pause and, in addition, fired toward Israeli territory. The IDF has resumed combat against the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza,” the post read.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed that Hamas refused to release more hostages, which was contrary to the terms of the truce.
Both parties agreed on Tuesday, November 21, to observe a pause in fighting, which would commence on Thursday, November 23, to allow for the release of hostages held since the war began on October 7.
Israel had described the pause as a “lull in fighting,” and it was reported that about eight Palestinians were killed in the West Bank area by Israeli forces during the truce.
The truce had been renewed twice before it ended on Friday.
“With the resumption of fighting, we emphasise, the Israeli government is committed to achieving the goals of the war – to free our hostages, to eliminate Hamas, and to ensure that Gaza will never pose a threat to the residents of Israel,” Netanyahu’s office stated.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, at least 21 people were killed as the war between Israel and Hamas resumed on Friday.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.