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Benjamin Netanyahu

GAZA CITY. — Hamas yesterday agreed to a 24-hour humanitarian truce, shortly after Israel announced a resumption of hostilities in Gaza following a day-long pause.
“In response to the UN’s intervention request to monitor the situation . . . it has been agreed between the resistance factions that a 24-hour humanitarian truce will start from 14:00,” Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement.

Zuhri said the ceasefire would take place ahead of the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and is expected to fall today.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with CNN television, said Hamas was “violating its own ceasefire”, as strikes continued to hit Gaza, including inside Gaza City.

Up to 15:00, Hamas was still claiming mortar attacks, with the army confirming six rounds had struck Israel since 11:00 GMT.

The two sides mostly stuck to a 12-hour humanitarian ceasefire on Saturday, with Israel agreeing to extend it, while Hamas resumed its rocket fire as the initial lull ended at 17:00 GMT, with one mortar shell killing a soldier.

But yesterday morning, Israel said it was resuming its aerial, naval and ground campaign against Gaza after what it said was “incessant” Hamas rocket fire.

The Israeli military attributed its decision to resume aerial, naval and ground activity to “Hamas’s incessant rocket fire throughout the humanitarian window, which was agreed upon for the civilian population in Gaza”.

At least 1 054 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed and more than 6 000 injured since Israel launched its offensive on the Mediterranean enclave, home to 1,8 million Palestinians, on July 8.

Israel said five of its soldiers were killed in pre-truce fighting in Gaza and two others died of their wounds in hospital.

Another soldier was killed by shell fire overnight, bringing the army death toll to 43.

Three civilians, including two Israeli citizens and a Thai labourer, have been killed by rockets fired from Gaza. — AFP/Al Jazeera.