Hopes for the extension of the truce in Gaza were dashed when the agreement between the parties expired in the early hours of the morning. And after a week of ceasefire, Israel and Hamas resumed hostilities , accusing each other of having broken the pact.
Raids, rocket launches from the Strip and Lebanon, over 170 Palestinian victims and around 600 wounded : the war has taken over the scene, obscuring the images of joy that had accompanied the prolonged exchange of prisoners. Israeli military operations have extended to southern Gaza, especially Khan Yunis, so much so that civilians have been asked to move towards Rafah.
While negotiations continue for the hostages still in the hands of Hamas, the words of Benjamin Netanyahu resound, promising: "We will continue until the total destruction of Hamas ."
On Israeli territory, the Iron Dome was activated to intercept the barrage of rockets launched from the Strip (over 50 in the south alone), while alarm sirens rang out throughout the country. The army of the Jewish State, however, conducted extensive operations on land, sea and air, pushing into the southern part of Gaza, in Khan Younis , where thousands of people arriving from the north have been displaced. And to make it clear to the population that the center of gravity of the attack has shifted, he dropped leaflets asking civilians to leave the area and move towards the border with Egypt.
The front with Lebanon has also started to heat up again , with the resumption of exchanges of fire on the border with Hezbollah.
THE EXCHANGE OF ACCUSATIONS
Shortly after six o'clock, the last hour of the agreed truce, the Israeli army announced that Hamas had "violated the operational pause" by launching rockets, and in response the offensive resumed. The version of the Palestinian faction is opposed, according to which the enemy would have rejected all offers for a further release of hostages, having already decided to return to bombing.
THE HOSTAGES
There are 137 Israelis still in the hands of Hamas , according to the government, which also kept on the list the 10-month-old Kfir Bibas, the youngest of the abductees, his 4-year-old brother Ariel and their mother Shiri, awaiting confirmation that they were killed.
Egypt, Qatar, the USA and Russia are insisting on an extension of the truce, today's negotiations failed but they continue to the bitter end. According to Israel, "after a few days of fighting, Hamas will again be available to release other hostages", a political source explained to the media, opening up to an extra day's break in exchange for 10 women.
(Unioneonline)
