Israel-Gaza war: Truce ends as fighting restarts in Gaza after more than 100 hostages freed

Israel’s military has resumed combat operations in the Gaza Strip, just minutes after a temporary truce with Hamas expired on Friday.

The ceasefire ended at 7am after the halt in fighting began a week ago on November 24.

It initially lasted for four days but was extended with the help of mediators from Qatar and Egypt.

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.

Hamas, a militant group that has ruled Gaza for 16 years, had also been expected to set a higher price for the remaining hostages, especially Israeli soldiers.

About 140 hostages remain in Gaza, with more than 100 having been freed as part of the truce.

Qatar and Egypt had sought to prolong the truce by another two days.