After a week-long cease-fire in Gaza ended Friday, December 1, Israeli airstrikes on Gaza resumed, as rocket fire was also launched from both Gaza and Lebanon. A Mossad team that was in Qatar negotiating another truce was recalled to Israel Saturday following an impasse.
Israel and Hamas fought on Saturday for a second day since a seven-day truce expired.
In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and began an air, sea and ground offensive that has killed more than 15,000 people, also mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s Hamas government.
During the week-long pause in fighting, Hamas released 80 Israeli hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
Diplomatic activity
A Mossad team was in Doha on Saturday negotiating with Qatar’s mediators for an additional pause in fighting in Gaza, a source with knowledge of the visit said, with talks focused on the potential release of new Israeli hostages, such as women soldiers and elderly men.
An Israeli official told the Wall Street Journal that Israel is willing to consider future pauses in the war in Gaza to allow for the release of as many hostages as possible.
A White House official told Haaretz that U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is in contact with the Qatari emir regarding a new cease-fire.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he will travel to Qatar to help bring about a “new truce” between Israel and Hamas.
Harris also relayed assurances to Egypt’s President al-Sissi saying that there will be no forced relocation of Palestinians, siege on Gaza, or redrawing of borders.
More than 200 dead
The Hamas government in Gaza said Saturday that 240 people had been killed since the truce between Israel and Hamas expired on Friday at 7:00 AM (0500 GMT), when fighting immediately restarted.
Another 650 people had been injured in “hundreds of air strikes, artillery and navy bombardments, everywhere in the Gaza Strip,” Hamas said in a statement, adding that Israeli forces had “particularly targeted Khan Yunis,” a city in Gaza’s south.
The Israeli military said Saturday it had attacked more than 400 targets in the Gaza Strip since the pause in the fighting with Hamas ended.
Air, naval and ground forces were involved, it said, adding that fighter jets hit “more than 50 targets in an extensive attack in the Khan Yunis area.”
The Israeli army announced that the commander of Hamas’ Shejaiyah Brigade, Wisam Farhat, had been killed in an airstrike. According to the militant group, the attack left a death toll of 300 people in the neighborhood in eastern Gaza.
Humanitarian aid resumes
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said on Saturday that it had “now received aid trucks through the Rafah crossing,” from its Egyptian counterparts.
Five hostages confirmed dead
The Israeli army on Friday confirmed the deaths of five hostages held in Gaza, and the body of one of them returned to Israel.
Syria strikes
Israeli air strikes killed two Syrian pro-Hezbollah fighters when they hit sites belonging to the group near Damascus early on Saturday, a war monitor told the media.
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