Israel resumed bombing Gaza as the seven-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas expired on Friday, with Israel and Hamas blaming each other for violating the terms of the agreement. At least 109 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel resumed its bombardment of the besieged enclave, according to Gaza Health Ministry.
The seven-day pause, initially starting on Nov. 24 and extended twice, facilitated the exchange of dozens of hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Additionally, it allowed for the entry of humanitarian aid into the coastal strip. In this exchange deal, 78 Israeli and dual-national hostages were released by Hamas and Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners, all of whom were women or teenagers.
International mediators, including Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, advocated for another extension of the truce, which ultimately expired at 7 a.m local time (05:00 GMT) on Friday. In the hour preceding the truce's end, Israeli military said, operations have restarted in Gaza after the truce expired, and launched air raids and artillery fire.
Israel's ongoing war on Gaza — now in its 56th day — has killed more 15,000 Palestinians since October 7. In Israel, the official death toll stands at about 1,200.
