GAZA- The heavy clashes erupted on Friday as Israel’s military resumed combat operations against Hamas, alleging a breach of a temporary truce with rocket fire toward Israeli territory.
The seven-day pause, extended twice, allowed for the exchange of hostages and facilitated the entry of humanitarian aid into the beleaguered coastal strip.
Prior to the truce’s expiration at 7 am (0500 GMT), Israel reported intercepting a rocket fired from Gaza.
Reporting from middle area, multiple Palestinians got killed by the Israeli air strikes this morning.
It’s 7 am, the Israeli army continued shelling and striking different places in the Gaza Strip after the truce ended. pic.twitter.com/3KVsm9u5EQ— MoTaz (@azaizamotaz9) December 1, 2023
No immediate comments or claims of responsibility were made by Hamas. Following the truce’s end, the reports emerged of Israeli air and artillery strikes, specifically in Rafah near the Egyptian border, with witnesses in Khan Younis describing heavy shelling and civilian evacuations.
The reports suggested that the casualties from Israeli raids, while the Israel military confirmed airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza.
Israeli warplanes are targeting different locations in the South of Gaza. pic.twitter.com/m5MZwIne7g
— Hind Khoudary (@Hind_Gaza) December 1, 2023
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office asserted Israel’s commitment to achieving war objectives.
Images on social media depicted large plumes of smoke over Jabalia camp in densely populated Gaza. Israel’s objective to dismantle Hamas stems from the group’s alleged Oct. 7 rampage, leading to retaliatory bombardment and a ground invasion. Palestinian health authorities, acknowledged by the United Nations, reported over 15,000 confirmed Gazan casualties.
Qatar and Egypt’s efforts to extend the truce yielded the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners. The truce permitted humanitarian aid, although concerns persist about insufficient deliveries to meet Gaza’s needs.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his visit to Israel, emphasized the imperative of preventing civilian casualties and displacement in southern Gaza. His comments followed a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, where he conveyed the necessity of avoiding a repetition of the extensive humanitarian impact witnessed in northern Gaza.
