FLARES of rockets were seen illuminating Gaza’s Khan Yunis nighttime skyline while sounds of explosions were heard on Monday after the termination of a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas.
Footage shows plumes of smoke billowing above Nasser’s hospital following intensive rocket strikes on the territory of the enclave.
Ambulances can also be seen taking injured to the medical treatment facility.
The temporary ceasefire and the exchange of the hostage-prisoner between the sides concluded on Friday morning, with no progress made to prolong it.
Both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of the collapse of the deal.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) declared the resumption of combat against Hamas in Gaza, contending that the group breached the truce by launching rockets into Israeli territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of ‘refusing to release more hostages.’
Hamas broke truce after refusing to release more hostages—Netanyahu
Hamas rejected the accusation, claiming Israel had ‘refused all offers’ to extend the truce.
Hamas said that it had ‘offered to exchange prisoners and the elderly, as well as to hand over the bodies of those killed by the Israeli bombardment’. The initial four-day ceasefire and prisoner-hostage swap deal was extended twice, lasting until Thursday.
It saw the release of 86 Israeli hostages and 24 foreigners according to Israel, while approximately 240 Palestinian prisoners were freed from Israeli jails.
On November 22, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement for a four-day ceasefire and a hostage-prisoner swap.
As per the terms, 50 hostages would be released in exchange for 150 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 according to Israeli officials.
Israel declared war on the group and a ‘complete siege’ of Gaza, with a large-scale campaign of air strikes which Palestinian officials reported had killed over 1,500 people in the first week – and many thousands more since.
A ground incursion began at the end of the third, with Israeli leaders vowing to ‘wipe out’ Hamas.
“Every Hamas terrorist is a dead man,” according to Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel.
“We will wipe them off the face of the Earth,” Yoav Gallant, Israeli Defense Minister stated.
IDF claimed that Hamas locations and infrastructure were targeted in the response.
However, United Nations experts warned against ‘collective punishment’ for the people of Gaza, before predicting a ‘humanitarian crisis’ and then claimed that ‘hell is settling in’ for the region.
