The ceasefire in Gaza ended Friday morning after Israel said Hamas fired rockets into Israel and it responded with airstrikes in the territory, following a weeklong pause in the fighting during which hostages were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that Hamas violated the terms of the ceasefire the two sides had in place by refusing to release the number of hostages it had promised to and by firing rockets into Israel.
Hamas “has not met its obligation to release all of the women hostages today and has launched rockets at Israeli citizens,” the office said.
With the fighting underway again, Israel plans to resume its goal of destroying Hamas’s military capacity, the prime minister’s office said.
“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.”
Hamas did not immediately comment on the collapse of the ceasefire. Negotiations have reportedly continued to extend the pause even as the fighting resumed in Gaza, where Israeli forces are waging a campaign against Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
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