The pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas is over, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The pause, which was set to end a few minutes after 7 a.m. Friday local time, was reportedly violated by Hamas as they fired towards Israeli territory. The Washington Post has not been able to verify this claim. In response, Israel has resumed operations in Gaza with sirens ringing in Israeli communities near the Gaza border as warplanes strike in the area, the IDF reported.
This development comes after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Israel had agreed to U.S. demands to minimize civilian deaths in Gaza once the fighting resumes. On Thursday, eight hostages and 30 Palestinian prisoners were released.
The situation is escalating once again, and the international community is closely monitoring the events as tensions rise in the region. The pause in fighting, which had offered a glimmer of hope for a ceasefire, now appears to be a thing of the past as violence reignites between Israel and Hamas.