Israel announces resumption of combat in Gaza Strip as truce with Hamas expires

Qatar and Egypt, which have played a key role as mediators, had sought to prolong the truce by another two days

A helicopter carrying Israeli hostages released by Hamas lands at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel (Leo Correa, AP)

Israel’s military said it had resumed combat operations in the Gaza Strip minutes after a temporary truce with Hamas expired on Friday, blaming the militant group for breaking the ceasefire.

The truce expired at 7am (0500 GMT) on Friday. The halt in fighting began a week ago, on November 24. It initially lasted for four days, and then was extended for several days with the help of Qatar and fellow mediator Egypt.