A temporary cease-fire deal that lasted seven days has expired without word from mediator Qatar on an extension. Israel’s military said Friday morning that it has resumed combat.
A total of 83 Israelis, including dual nationals, were freed during the truce, most of whom appear physically well but shaken. Another 24 hostages - 23 Thais and one Filipino - have also been released, including several men. Israel says around 125 men are still held hostage. The 240 Palestinians released so far under the cease-fire have mostly been teenagers accused of throwing stones and firebombs during confrontations with Israeli forces.
The deal ended after a week and multiple extensions, despite international pressure for the truce to be upheld as long as possible. Weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground campaign have left more than three-quarters of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million uprooted, leading to a humanitarian crisis.
More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed - roughly two-thirds of them women and minors - according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Some 1,200 Israelis have been killed, mostly during Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.
Currently:
- Wartime Israel shows little tolerance for Palestinian dissent.
- Blinken urges Israel to comply with international law and spare civilians.
- A friendship forged over 7 weeks of captivity lives on as freed women are reunited.
- Families reunite with 17 Thai hostages freed by Hamas.
- Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
Here’s what’s happening in the war:
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza - A 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 truce expired at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) Friday. The halt in fighting began a week prior, on Nov. 24. It initially lasted four days, but was extended for several days with the help of Qatar and fellow mediator Egypt.
During the weeklong 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.
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