GAZA, Dec 2: Israeli strikes on houses and buildings have killed at least 178 people throughout the Gaza Strip on the first hours of fighting after a weeklong truce collapsed Friday, according to the Health Ministry there. Israel said it struck more than 200 Hamas targets.
Militants in Gaza resumed firing rockets into Israel, and fighting broke out between Israel and Hezbollah militants operating along its northern border with Lebanon. Mediator Qatar said efforts are ongoing to renew the truce.
Israel had paused most military activity in Gaza and freed 300 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of over 100 hostages held by militants. Israel says 115 adult men, 20 women and two children are still held captive.
Weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground campaign have left homeless more than three-quarters of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, causing a humanitarian crisis face widespread shortages of food, water and other supplies. 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.
The toll is likely much higher. Some 1,200 Israelis were killed, mostly during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war. A day earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israeli officials to do more to protect Palestinian civilians as they seek to destroy Hamas. It was not clear to what extent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will heed the appeals of the United States, Israel’s most important ally.
In response to the U.S. calls, the Israeli military released an online map dividing the Gaza Strip into hundreds of numbered, haphazardly drawn parcels. It asked residents to learn the number of their location in case of an eventual evacuation. The map did not designate safe areas to evacuate to, and it was not clear how easily Palestinians could access it. (Agencies)
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