- The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas expired early Friday morning
- Negotiations broke down as dozens of hostages remain trapped in Gaza
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is set to come to an end as both sides ready to re-launch into brutal attacks, amid reports the ceasefire may have been broken by rocket fire hours early.
Officials expected the ceasefire to end on Thursday morning before it was extended for a further day with just minutes to spare.
Israel had agreed to halt its retaliatory strikes on Gaza by a day for every 10 hostages who are freed, with a further two captured Israeli’s freed on Thursday afternoon.
The ceasefire had begun on November 24 and was initially intended to be brought to a close on Monday, raising hopes from some that the worst fighting in the Middle East could continue to be halted amid ongoing negotiations.
Just under an hour before the ceasefire officially expired, the IDF claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that Hamas launched a rocket on Israel, which was ‘intercepted by air defense fighters.’
Rockets have reportedly been intercepted as the ceasefire over Gaza City expired
Hours before the ceasefire ended Friday morning in the Middle East, rocket sirens sounded near the Gaza border.
According to footage posted on social media by a reporter from Yeshiva World News, a Jewish outlet, sirens could be heard in the southern Israel city of Sderot followed by sounds of a large explosion.
Further surveillance video shared by Middle East research analyst Joe Truzman also appeared to show a rocket launch towards Sderot intercepted by the Iron Dome, Israel’s air strike defense systems.
It is unclear if reports of a blast in Sderot are the same incident the Israeli military claimed it had intercepted in the Iron Dome.
Reports of Telegram communications from the Shehab News Agency, considered tied to Hamas, claimed gunfire and several explosions struck northern Gaza earlier on Friday.
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