Israel-Hamas war: Temporary ceasefire ends as Israel accuses Hamas of violating terms of truce - reports of strikes in Gaza

Violence between Israel and Hamas has resumed after Israeli forces said Hamas had violated the terms of the recent truce. The two sides participated in a temporary ceasefire which lasted seven days. During this period, 110 hostages held by Hamas were released as well as 230 Palestinian prisoners.

It comes after the deadline to extend the ceasefire expired, after it was announced that a one-day extension would take place on Thursday (November 30). The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said on X: "Hamas violated the operational pause, and in addition, fired toward Israeli territory. The IDF has resumed combat against the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered further information, saying Hamas had refused to release more hostages. A statement from his office said: "The Hamas-ISIS terrorist organization has violated the outline. It has not met its obligation to release all of the women hostages today and has launched rockets at Israeli citizens.

"Upon the resumption of fighting, we emphasize: The Government of Israel is committed to achieving the goals of the war: Releasing the hostages, eliminating Hamas and ensuring that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to the residents of Israel."

There have been early morning reports of rockets and gunfire in Gaza after the expiration of the truce. The IDF said that it was launching military attacks on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. The Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry has said that at least six Palestinians have been killed in the strike on early Friday morning (December 1).

According to reports, leaflets have been dropped on Palestinian homes in Gaza instructing them to leave southern Gaza, as the threat of a wider Israeli military offensive intensifies. However, despite fighting resuming in the conflict, there are continuing efforts for peace talks between Israel and Hamas after the violence intensified following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.