Israel's warplanes pounded Gaza, sending wounded and dead Palestinians into hospitals and residents into the streets to flee, as its war against Hamas resumed after talks to extend a week-old truce broke down.

As the deadline lapsed, Reuters journalists in Khan Younis in southern Gaza saw eastern areas come under intensive bombardment, sending columns of smoke rising into the sky. Residents took to the road with belongings heaped up in carts, fleeing for shelter further west.

In the north of the enclave, previously the main war zone, huge plumes of smoke rose above the ruins, seen from across the fence in Israel. The rattle of gunfire and thud of explosions rang out above the sound of barking dogs.

Rocket sirens also blared across southern Israel as militants fired from the coastal enclave into towns.

Within hours of the truce expiring, Gaza health officials reported that 54 people had already been killed and dozens wounded in air strikes that hit at least eight homes.

  • Augustiner@lemmy.world
    76·
    7 months ago

    A lot of them probably are dead, but Hamas also can’t hand over all their bargaining chips. What is keeping the IDF from completely wiping out Gaza once there are no more hostages there?

    • SCB@lemmy.world
      31·
      7 months ago

      No amount of hostages being held will end this ear. Israel’s stated purpose is the complete removal of Hamas as a political entity and the war will continue until they feel they have met that goal or international pressure forces a long-term end of hostilities.

    • Rapidcreek@reddthat.com
      88·
      7 months ago

      They’ve had time to debrief the hostages who were returned. Interestingly enough, some were being held by NGO employees and doctors employed by WHO. But, that just gives the IDF more targets.

    • BraveSirZaphod@kbin.social
      611·
      7 months ago

      Probably that the IDF has no desire or interest in “wiping out Gaza”.

      They are quite interested in wiping out Hamas though. Of course, Hamas knows it will disastrously lose any real fight, so they make sure that taking them out will also necessarily require killing as many Gazans as possible.

      • Barbarian@sh.itjust.works
        106·
        7 months ago

        Israeli politicians are openly talking about solving the “Gaza problem” once and for all. Of course, Israelis aren’t a hive mind, but there are Israelis who do want to wipe out Gaza.

        • SCB@lemmy.world
          43·
          7 months ago

          That’s not an indication they want to ethnically cleanse Gaza.