After a seven-day ceasefire that allowed the exchange of hostages between Hamas and Israel, the fighting has started up again. Israel claims that Hamas violated the ceasefire by firing toward Israeli territory.

In a statement in the early hours of Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that “Hamas violated the operational pause, and in addition, fired toward Israeli territory. The IDF has resumed combat against the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip,” it added. The military also announced that it was conducting air raids on Hamas targets in Gaza, according to a report by RT. 

The Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas violated the framework of the agreement saying that it “did not meet its obligation to release all hostage women. Amid the return to combat, we stress the government of Israel is committed to achieving the goals of the war – releasing our hostages, eliminating Hamas, and ensuring that Gaza can never again threaten the people of Israel.”

Hamas was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying that Israel “bears responsibility for the resumption of war and aggression against the Gaza Strip,” as it had refused to accept the group’s offer to release additional detainees.

Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq stated that Israel will achieve nothing “by continuing its aggression after the truce.” Earlier in the day, Israel said it had intercepted a launch from the Palestinian enclave, later adding that “a number of launches were identified from the Gaza Strip toward Israeli territory,” and that they “were not intercepted according to protocol.”

Both sides continue to accuse each other of violations in northern Gaza, which became the primary target of Israel’s ground offensive that began in late October.

While the ceasefire has been extended several times, most understood that this war was going to continue at some point.