Israel resumes combat against Hamas after Gaza truce expires

Israel's military said on Friday it has resumed combat against Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the end of a seven-day truce.

In the hour before the truce was set to end at 7:00 am (0500 GMT), Israel said it intercepted a rocket fired from Gaza, and accused Hamas of violating the terms of the truce.

In turn, Palestinian media reported Israeli air and artillery strikes across the enclave after the truce expired.

The seven-day pause, which began on November 24 and was extended twice, had allowed for the exchange of dozens of hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinian detainees and facilitated the entry of humanitarian aid into the strip.