JERUSALEM, Israel – Rockets fired by Hamas triggered the end to a week-long pause in the Gaza fighting in the early hours of Friday morning. The war restarted after Israel accused the terror group of violating the truce agreement.
After Hamas began firing rockets into southern Israel, the Israel Defense Forces resumed bombing in Gaza City. The renewed fighting now puts the release of the remaining hostages on hold. During the halt in the fighting more than 100 hostages were freed.
On Thursday, 10 more Israeli hostages were released. Israel had wanted all the women and children to be set free, yet with the resumption of the fighting and the breakdown in negotiations, the fate of nearly 140 hostages remaining in captivity is unknown.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the region Friday morning after a day of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Blinken Israel’s goals for the war.
“I told him: ‘This is the same Hamas. This is the same Hamas that carried out the terrible massacre on October 7, the same Hamas that tries to murder us everywhere’. I told him: ‘We swore, and I swore, to eliminate Hamas. Nothing will stop us.’
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