Friday 1 December 2023

ISRAEL RESUMES STRIKES IN GAZA AS TRUCE WITH HAMAS ENDS

 Fighting has resumed in Gaza after the seven-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas expired. Both sides have blamed each other for the violence restarting after a week in which more than 100 hostages were released by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails

  1. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says dozens of people have been killed since the Israeli bombardment resumed
  2. Our reporter in southern Israel says rockets have been seen being fired to and from Gaza this morning
  3. The Israeli military has dropped leaflets warning residents of Khan Younis, a southern city, to flee further south for their safety.
  4. Earlier, the US warned Israel that the "massive loss of civilian life" seen in northern Gaza should not be repeated in the south
  5. Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October killed 1,200 people with around 240 others taken hostage
  6. Since then, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 14,800 people have been killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign, including about 6,000 children.
  7. Latest updates as war returns to Gaza

    A Palestinian assists a boy following an Israeli strike on a house

    It's just gone midday in Israel and Gaza after a frantic morning,with fighting resuming in the early hours.

    Here's where things stand.

    Fighting resumes as Israel and Hamas trade blame

    • Fighting has resumed in Gaza after a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that lasted seven days expired without a further extension
    • Across Gaza heavy gunfire and many large airstrikes have been seen and heard, while rockets have also been fired at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip
    • The Israeli military has blamed Hamas for violating the terms of the truce by failing to release all the female and child hostages being held in Gaza. It said rockets were fired towards Israel before the truce was due to end
    • In turn, Hamas blamed Israel for breaking the ceasefire agreement, saying it had preventing fuel supplies from reaching north Gaza

    Dozens reported killed and new evacuation zones

    • Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says at least 30 people have been killed by airstrikes in the hours since fighting resumed
    • Leaflets have been dropped warning people to the east of Khan Younis, a southern city, to head even further south to Rafah, near the Egypt border
    • The IDF has created a new map dividing Gaza into hundreds of zones, which is says will be used to warn civilians of areas they need to evacuate in "preparation for the next stage of the war"

    Negotiations continue and the US issues a warning

    • Difficult negotiations to resume the pause in fighting are ongoing in Qatar, sources have told the BBC
    • Before fighting resumed, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israel that it had to protect civilians differently this time, saying the huge numbers of civilian deaths and mass displacement in northern Gaza could not be repeated in the south
    • The UN children's agency warned of a humanitarian catastrophe, unless the truce resumed. A Unicef spokesman at a hospital in southern Gaza described the situation as terrifying.
    • Hard to see what Hamas wants to achieve, think-tank says

      A European think-tank has told the BBC "it will be a blow" to Israel that it was not able to secure the release of all women and children hostages during the seven-day ceasefire.

      Jane Kinninmont, director of policy and impact at the European Leadership Network, said that last night Israel would have been expecting to receive a list of people to be released under the terms of the hostage deal - but that did not happen.

      Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Breakfast programme earlier, she said it is hard from the outside to see "what Hamas wants to achieve" or what is motivating its leaders.

      Kinninmont said there will be some within Hamas who want a ceasefire and others who will be intent on "destroying Israel at all costs".

      She added that the group, which is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK and many other countries, may feel keeping some of the hostages gives them "leverage over Israel".

    • Loud airstrikes on north Gaza and rockets fired at Israel

      Anna Foster

      Reporting from Sderot

      Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel

      A little while ago, several very loud air strikes and huge plumes of smoke could be seen rising high into the sky above the north of the Gaza Strip.

      We’ve also seen and heard rockets fired from inside Gaza towards Israel, with white trails and smoke clearly visible in the sky from the Iron Dome interceptions.

      There’s no sign at all that this is fighting at a lower level post-ceasefire, it’s just as active here as it was during the earlier part of the IDF's ground operation.

    • FULL DETAILS AND MUCH MORE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67584895

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