After the end of a week-long ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) attacked houses and buildings, killing at least 178 people throughout the Gaza Strip in the first hours of fighting on early Saturday. Militants in Gaza resumed firing rockets into Israel, and fighting broke out between Israel and Hezbollah militants. Israel said it struck more than 200 Hamas targets.
Here are updates about the Israel-Hamas war:
- Israeli airstrikes hit several points on the outskirts of Damascus early Saturday, Syrian state media reported. It said that the strikes came from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights. Israel has struck targets in Syria several times since the onset of the Hamas-Israel war on 7 October.
Israel-Hamas war war resumes after short-lived truce, over 60 killed in Gaza
- Qatar is making efforts to renew the truce deal, which saw Israel pause most military activity in Gaza and release 300 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for militants freeing over 100 hostages held in Gaza.
- Israel says 115 adult men, 20 women, and two children are still held captive.
- Up until the truce began, more than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed--roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
Israel-Palestine war Day 56: 10 updates to know
- A senior Hamas official said Friday that his group is open to swapping more Israeli hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, but rebuffed a demand to free female Israeli soldiers.
- The US says it believes Israel will begin allowing some humanitarian assistance to once again flow into Gaza, after blocking aid on Friday after a temporary cease-fire expired.
- An Israeli hometown said three of its members have died in Hamas captivity, including the oldest person held hostage. Kibbutz Nir Oz said the community had received official confirmation of the deaths of Maya Goren, 56, Arye Zalmanovich, 86, and Ronan Engel, 54.
- The Israeli army recovered the body of an Israeli man originally thought to be taken hostage in Gaza. In a statement, the army said Ofir Tzarfati’s body had been located by Israeli forces in Gaza.
- The US said Friday that Israel has begun to implement civilian protection plans to reduce Palestinian casualties as it fights Hamas in Gaza.
Israel and Hamas extend temporary truce until Friday