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Israel-Hamas War highlights: Death toll in Gaza crosses 100 since end of truce on Friday
Israel-Hamas War highlights: UN chief 'deeply regrets' end of truce in Gaza
Israel-Hamas War highlights: United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken conveyed to Israeli leaders that they should avoid replicating the extensive destruction and displacement witnessed in the northern Gaza Strip as they plan a military operation further south to eliminate Hamas. “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 on the scale that we saw in northern Gaza not be repeated in the south,” Blinken said in after having a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet on Thursday in Tel Aviv....Read More
Hamas has expressed its willingness to extend a truce for hostage and prisoner exchanges, a source close to the militant group told AFP. Concurrently, the United States has urged Israel to establish safe zones for Gaza civilians as the expiration of a temporary pause in their deadly conflict approaches. The international community has intensified pressure for a lasting cessation of hostilities, initiated by deadly attacks from Hamas that led to a severe Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. With the current truce set to expire soon, Blinken has called for an extension following discussions with leaders in Israel and the occupied West Bank.
Overnight Thursday, 30 Palestinian prisoners, including 23 minors and seven women, were released by Israeli prison authorities. This release follows the freeing of eight Israeli hostages by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The truce agreement mandates the daily release of a minimum of 10 Israeli hostages, but a source close to Hamas mentioned that only eight Israelis were released on Thursday due to the inclusion of two Russian-Israeli women on Wednesday. The truce agreement, which took effect on November 24, has led to the release of 110 hostages, including 80 Israelis. Whereas, Israel has released 240 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel resumes war in full force
In a definitive move indicating the resumption of hostilities, the Israeli military confirmed on Friday that its fighter jets have initiated strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, AP reports.
This development occurred 30 minutes after the weeklong cease-fire officially ended at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT).
Earlier, Israel accused Hamas of violating the terms of the cease-fire by launching rockets from Gaza towards Israel. The expiration of the temporary truce has heightened concerns about the potential rekindling of conflict, with no immediate word on an extension from mediator Qatar.
Israeli military jets conduct airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza
Israeli military jets are presently conducting airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza, Reuters reports.
Israeli military resumes combat operations as truce deadline expires, accuses Hamas of violating the cease-fire
The Israeli military has resumed combat operations as the truce deadline expires, accusing Hamas of violating the cease-fire, AP reports.
Truce between Israel, Hamas expires without extension, raising likelihood of renewed fighting
Truce between Israel, Hamas expires without extension, raising likelihood of renewed fighting, AP reports
Israel intercepts rocket as gunfire, explosions in north Gaza reported
Israel's military said it intercepted a rocket fired from Gaza early on Friday while Hamas-affiliated media reported sounds of gunfire and explosions in the north of the coastal strip shortly before a deadline to extend a seven-day truce was set to expire.
Air raid sirens sounded in Israeli communities near the border with Gaza as the 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) deadline to extend the pause in fighting neared.
Israel's Kan public broadcaster described the sirens as the first to sound since the truce, which has been extended twice, began on Nov. 24. Neither side has announced an extension to the truce.
Reuters
Israeli army says rocket fired from Gaza intercepted
Israel's missile defence system intercepted a rocket fired from Gaza on Friday, the Israeli military said, around an hour before a truce with Hamas was due to expire.
"Following the initial report regarding sirens sounded in communities near the Gaza Strip, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted a launch from the Gaza Strip," the military said on its official Telegram account.
AFP
‘Hamas not a terror organisation…’: Palestine envoy to India
Coming out heavily against Israel, Palestinian Ambassador to India, Adnan Abu Al-Haija on Thursday said that Hamas is "not a terror organisation" but "freedom fighters" fighting against the occupation.
Referring to Israel, he said that the "occupation" is "terrorist" and should leave Palestine. He further affirmed that Palestinians should be allowed to live like any other country in "peace and freedom."
Al-Haija also thanked the people of the state of Kerala for supporting the people of Palestine during the ongoing conflict.
Speaking to reporters in Kozhikode, the Palestinian envoy said, "I would like to mention here, that Hamas is not a terrorist organisation. Hamas is a freedom fighter organisation. They are fighting the occupation, the occupation is terrorist and should leave our home. We should live like any other country in the world in peace and freedom".
ANI
Israel dismissed early warning of Hamas attack: Report
Israeli officials reportedly possessed intelligence about a potential large-scale attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas before the October 7 assault but allegedly dismissed the reports, as per a report by The New York Times.
The document obtained outlined details of the invasion, mirroring the subsequent events that resulted in around 1,200 casualties.
The document did not specify the timing of the attack but detailed a plan that Hamas seemed to have followed, involving a rocket barrage, disrupting surveillance, and infiltrating Israel by land and air.
The information, containing sensitive security details, circulated among military and intelligence leaders in Israel, though it's unclear if senior politicians reviewed it.
Israel, Hamas agree to extend truce for eighth day: Report
Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the truce for an eighth day, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing Egyptian officials. While there has been no official announcement from either side or from Egypt, Qatar, and the US, which have led negotiations for the pause. The reported extension would likely involve the release of another 10 Israeli hostages.
Who are hostages released by Hamas?
One hostage released from Gaza on Thursday is Mia Schem, a 21-year-old French-Israeli woman who was shown with a badly bruised arm being bandaged up while in captivity in a video released by Hamas after its deadly rampage in southern Israel on October 7, AP reports.
Also freed were Bilal Alziadana, 18, and his sister, Aisha, 17, members of Israel’s Bedouin Arab community who had accompanied their father to work on a dairy farm on a kibbutz on Oct. 7, according to the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum, a grassroots group representing families of hostages. It said their father and an older brother remain in captivity.
In what has become a daily ritual, Hamas also released a video showing the hostages being turned over to the Red Cross by militants. In one scene, masked gunmen escorted two hostages to waiting vehicles as crowds of onlookers shouted and whistled at them.
Israel defence minister Gallant tells Antony Blinken Israel will fight Hamas for as long as it takes
Eight Israeli, and two Russian hostages were released from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip on Thursday as part of a temporary cease-fire deal that has lasted for seven days, according to the Israeli military. Israel has announced the release of 30 Palestinian prisoners in the early hours of Friday under the truce deal, which has temporarily halted the deadliest fighting in decades between Israel and Palestinians, AP reports.
