At least 178 killed in Gaza since ceasefire ended as Israel strikes hundreds of Hamas targets
Hamas says that more than a hundred Palestinians have been killed since fighting between the proscribed terror group and Israel resumed. ITV News Senior International Correspondent John Irvine and Correspondent Robert Moore report
Israel has warned civilians in the southern part of Gaza to evacuate.
On Friday, the IDF dropped leaflets over an area east of the city of Khan Younis, and resumed striking Hamas targets after the deadline for another ceasefire extension passed.
More than 14,800 Palestinians have died since the start of the war, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. The figure includes 6,150 children and 4,000 women.
At least 1,200 people were killed in Israel during Hamas' attack on October 7.
Strikes on houses and buildings throughout the Gaza Strip have killed at least 178 people, in the first hours of fighting after a weeklong truce collapsed, according to Hamas.
Israel has said that it has struck more than 200 Hamas targets.
It comes after Israel warned civilians in the southern part of Gaza to evacuate after the deadline for another ceasefire extension passed.
Earlier on Friday, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) dropped leaflets over an area east of the city of Khan Younis, in which residents were urged to leave for their safety.
The leaflet declared Khan Younis a "dangerous battle zone"
Israel claimed that Hamas leaders are hiding alongside the masses of civilians who have fled south as a result of weeks of aerial bombardment and ground battles in the north.
The IDF also released a map carving up the Gaza Strip into hundreds of numbered parcels, and asked residents to learn the number associated with their location in case of an eventual evacuation.
It was not immediately clear how Palestinians would be updated on calls
Israeli fighter jets had already struck parts of southern Gaza on Friday, including the community of Abassan, located east of the town of Khan Younis, the Interior Ministry in the Hamas-run territory said.
Fighting also broke out between Israel and Hezbollah militants operating along its northern border with Lebanon
Meanwhile, in Israel, sirens blared at three communal farms near Gaza were warned of incoming rocket fire, suggesting Hamas had also resumed its attacks.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest episode of What You Need To Know to find out
International leaders hope to help restart the ceasefire
The IDF's announcement of the strikes came only 30 minutes after the ceasefire expired at 7am (5am GMT) on Friday morning.
Qatar, which has served as a mediator along with Egypt, said negotiators from both sides were still trying to reach an agreement on restarting the ceasefire. The country also expressed “deep regret” over Israeli bombardments.
The ceasefire ended after Israel accused Hamas of having violating its terms, claiming that its missile defense system had detected and intercepted a rocket fired toward Israeli territory from Gaza.
Hamas did not immediately responded to Israel's claim.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is attending the COP28 climate talks in Dubai, said he will issue renewed calls for “sustained humanitarian pauses” in Gaza.
Mr Sunak spoke to leaders of Israel as well as Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan.
“There was obviously shared disappointment and regret amongst the leaders that obviously the humanitarian pause has seemingly ended," he told reporters.
“The discussions were focused on practical steps that can now be taken to both bring about more humanitarian pauses so more hostages can be released, how we can get more aid in as well, whilst also standing by Israel’s right to self-defence.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also met with Israeli officials on Thursday and urged them to do more to protect Palestinian civilians.
Ceasefire ended
The halt in fighting began on November 24 and initially lasted for four days. It was then extended for several days with the help of Qatar and fellow mediator Egypt.
Not all hostages have been released yet
During the week-long truce, Hamas and other militants in Gaza released more than 100 hostages, most of them Israelis, in return for 240 Palestinians freed from prisons in Israel.
Virtually all of those freed were women and children, but the fact that few such hostages remained in Gaza complicated reaching a deal for a further extension.
Among the hostages released was a 21-year-old woman who previously appeared in a video released by Hamas in which she seemed injured.
Mia Schem, a training tattooist who has French-Israeli citizenship, was captured at the Nova music festival on October 7.
The 240 Palestinians released so far under the cease-fire were mostly teenagers accused of throwing stones and firebombs during confrontations with Israeli forces.
On Thursday, four people were killed and 16 more wounded after gunmen opened fire at a Jerusalem bus stop.
Police said two attackers began shooting at people waiting at the terminal, which sits along the main highway into the city from Tel Aviv, during rush hour.
Hamas have taken responsibility for the attack in a message posted to Telegram, the Associated Press reported.
Palestinians in Gaza have called for a permanent end to the war, saying the temporary truces don’t resolve the humanitarian catastrophe in the territory.
Over 1.8 million people have fled their homes, with more than 1 million sheltering in UN schools and struggling to find basic items including cooking gas and flour.
Most of Gaza’s population is now crammed into the south with no exit, raising questions over how an Israeli offensive there can avoid heavy civilian casualties.
Israel has dropped leaflets urging Gaza residents to leave parts of southern Gaza, signaling a widening offensive.
This week, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the world must not look away from the suffering of civilians in Gaza, calling for "a true humanitarian ceasefire" that leads to a lasting two-state solution.