Israeli strikes in Gaza are relentless and continue since the truce broke

After a week-long ceasefire with Hamas broke down in spite of international calls for an extension, Israel launched lethal bombardments into Gaza for a second day on Saturday.

Grey smoke clouds from the strikes loomed over Gaza, where the health ministry reported that since the ceasefire ended early on Friday, close to 200 people had died.

Both sides placed the blame for violating the truce on the other, with Israel asserting that Hamas had attempted to launch a rocket before to its expiration and had neglected to provide a list of further hostages that needed to be freed.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, Jonathan Conricus, told reporters on Saturday, “What we’re doing now is striking Hamas military targets all over the Gaza Strip.”

A source close to Hamas, who wished to remain anonymous due to lack of authorization to address the media, claimed that the organization’s military branch was given “the order to resume combat” and to “defend the Gaza Strip” when hostilities recommenced.

Humanitarian organizations and world leaders denounced the resumption of hostilities.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his “deep regret that military operations have resumed in Gaza” on X, the previous Twitter platform.

According to reports, many people were murdered and injured today in a couple of hours, according to UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths.

“Families were once more instructed to leave. “Hopes were not realized.”

As Hezbollah announced that one of its members had been killed in an Israeli raid on Lebanon on Friday, and the Syrian Defense Ministry stated that Israeli strikes had struck Damascus on Saturday, fears of a wider regional battle increased.

The US declared that it is collaborating with neighbors to achieve a new truce.

“Our goal is to reintroduce the pause, and we will keep working with Israel, Egypt, and Qatar on this,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated to reporters on Friday in California.

A person briefed on the discussions who wished to remain anonymous indicated that Qatar and Egypt are still engaged in mediation attempts.

In reaction to the October 7 raid, Israel declared it would destroy Hamas and launched an air and ground operation that resulted in the deaths of over 15,000 Palestinians, almost 40% of whom were minors.

However, in a diplomatic coup, Hamas secured 240 Palestinian prisoners in return for 80 Israeli inmates, and more humanitarian supplies were allowed into Gaza during the seven-day truce.

During the week-long exchange of prisoners, Israeli families were reunited with their released relatives, causing tears in the process. Meanwhile, Palestinian detainees were allowed to leave Israeli jails, causing joy to erupt across the occupied West Bank.

Separate deals resulted in the release of twenty-five more detainees, the majority of whom were Thai.

The Israeli army reported on Friday that 136 prisoners, including 17 women and children, were still being held after five more detainees passed away, increasing the total to seven.

The US is still “intensely focused on getting everyone home, getting hostages back” and “pursuing the process that had worked for seven days” during the truce, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Dubai on Friday.

However, Eylon Levy, a spokesman for the Israeli government, warned reporters: “Hamas will now take the mother of all thumpings, having chosen to hold onto our women.”

“Ground, air, and naval forces struck terror targets in the north and south of the Gaza Strip, including in Khan Yunis and Rafah,” according to an Israeli military statement.

Early on Saturday, Israeli forces conducted operations in several locations of the West Bank under occupation, as reported by Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency.

After seeing a deceased youngster in a body bag outside the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, a guy wearing a blue sweater cried out in sadness and raised his hands and face to the heavens, according to AFPTV footage.

“What went wrong for him? “God, how did we deserve this?” he cried out.

In Gaza, where the UN estimates that 1.7 million people are internally displaced and in need of food, water, and other necessities, Guterres has issued a dire warning of a “humanitarian catastrophe”.

Rob Holden, a senior emergency officer for the World Health Organization (WHO), told reporters from Gaza, “The healthcare service is on its knees,” while background explosions could be heard.

“It is like a horror movie.”

Amal Abu Dagga sobbed on a bed at the Nasser hospital of Khan Yunis, her beige veil smeared with blood.

“I don’t even know what happened to my children,” she replied. When the bombs began to fall, the family was at home, according to a relative, Jamil Abu Dagga, who spoke to AFP.

In a number of Israeli settlements close to Gaza, sirens alerted residents to possible missile threats. Authorities announced that they were resuming the area’s security measures, which included closing the schools.

A van was destroyed by a missile attack in a nearby Israeli town near Gaza.

According to a statement released on Saturday by UNICEF’s executive director Catherine Russell, “the Gaza Strip is currently the most dangerous place in the world to be a child.”

In order to allow people to “evacuate from specific places for their safety if required,” the Israeli military released a map of “evacuation zones” in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli force has killed several Palestinians while carrying out previous “evacuation” orders.

On Friday, SMS alerts were sent to residents in several parts of Gaza.

The warnings stated that Israeli troops “will begin a crushing military attack on your area of residence with the aim of eliminating the terrorist organization Hamas.”

“Stay away from all military activity of every kind.