Israel Resumes Attacks After Ceasefire Expiration; Hamas Claims Dozens Killed

Israeli warplanes attacked Gaza on Friday, December 1, following the collapse of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. According to Hamas officials, a large number of Palestinians were killed and injured during these attacks, and many fled to the streets seeking safety. Reuters journalists in the city reported that early Friday, after the temporary ceasefire deadline expired, eastern Khan Younis in southern Gaza was heavily bombarded by Israel. Columns of smoke from explosions rose into the air. Residents of Gaza rushed westward along the Gaza Strip with carts loaded with their belongings to escape the attacks. In the northern enclosed area, which had previously been the main war zone, thick smoke rose from the ruins, visible from across the border fence in Israel. The sounds of gunfire and explosions mixed with barking dogs filled the air. As militants fired rockets from the coastal area towards the cities, warning sirens sounded across southern Israel. Israel and Hamas have accused each other of failing to extend the ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile, the White House has blamed Hamas, stating that the Palestinian militant group failed to provide a new list of hostages for release, thus preventing the extension of the temporary ceasefire. According to Reuters, following the failure to extend the ceasefire with Hamas, clashes resumed in the border areas between Israel and Lebanon. According to the Lebanese state news agency, Israeli military shelling in southern Lebanon on Friday left three dead. The Iran-backed Hezbollah group, an ally of Hamas, later stated that one of its fighters was among the dead. The group also claimed to have carried out several attacks on Israeli military positions at the border to support Palestinians in Gaza. The Israeli army announced that it targeted the source of the gunfire from Lebanon and intercepted two Lebanese airstrikes with its air defense. The Israeli army also stated that it targeted a 'terrorist cell.' Warning sirens due to the possibility of missile attacks sounded in several cities in northern Israel, sending residents to shelters. Reuters reported, citing the Lebanese state news agency, that two people were killed in the border town of Tole in Lebanon and one in the village of Jabain due to Israeli shelling. According to Israeli officials, Hamas took approximately 240 hostages, including children, women, and the elderly, during the October 7 attack that killed around 1,200 Israelis and foreigners. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have classified the Hamas group, supported by the Islamic Republic, as a terrorist organization.