Israel announces strikes on Gaza after truce expires, clear sign that war has resumed in full force
The Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military said Friday that its fighter jets have begun striking Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, in the clearest sign yet that the war has resumed with full force after a weeklong truce.
The announcement came 30 minutes after the cease-fire expired at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) Friday.
Earlier Friday, Israel accused Hamas of having violated the terms of the cease-fire, including by firing rockets toward Israel from Gaza.
The temporary truce in the Israel-Hamas war expired Friday morning, without immediate word from mediator Qatar on an extension, raising the possibility of renewed fighting.
The halt in fighting began a week ago, on Nov. 24. It initially lasted for four days, and then was extended for several days with the help of Qatar and fellow mediator Egypt.
During the week-long truce, Hamas and other militants in Gaza released more than 100 hostages, most of them Israelis, in return for 240 Palestinians freed from prisons in Israel. Virtually all of those freed were women and children.
Reaching agreements on swaps appeared to be growing harder as most women and children held in Gaza had already been released.
