end of ceasefire
The Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant stated that the Israeli military has resumed large-scale operations in the Gaza Strip. He attributed the ceasefire breach to a mistake by Hamas, which refused to release 15 Israeli women and two additional children held hostage. The remarks, reported by various outlets, indicated that the conflict had moved back into a phase of intensified strikes and territorial pressure.
Galant was quoted as saying that the campaign would continue from where it left off, underscoring that the effort had achieved significant results. The defense minister described the outcomes as highly effective, noting that thousands of militants were neutralized across numerous command centers and that Israel had gained access to extensive intelligence, including hundreds of terabytes of data, as well as a number of arrests and interrogations within Israel. These claims were reported by multiple news organizations, including the Times of Israel, and later confirmed by additional sources.
Salih al-Aruri, a deputy chairman of Hamas’s Politburo, indicated that discussions on a ceasefire were paused. He asserted that there would be no prisoner exchange until aggression stops and a comprehensive, final ceasefire is achieved. The stance was conveyed through official channels and reflected the hardening of positions on both sides during the ongoing hostilities.
On December 1, the Israel Defense Forces announced a restart of hostilities. The IDF reported that defensive systems intercepted a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip. Reports from Reuters noted that trucks delivering humanitarian aid were temporarily halted at the Rafah crossing, illustrating the practical consequences of the renewed clashes. In the prior 24 hours, Israeli forces conducted strikes on hundreds of militant targets across the Palestinian territory, highlighting the scale of the renewed campaign.
On December 2, the southern city of Ashkelon in Israel experienced air raid sirens, underscoring the continuing volatility in the region as the conflict persisted.
Feedback from negotiators
The Times reported that David Barnea, head of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, recalled the Doha-based negotiators on orders from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to a stalemate in negotiations for a new ceasefire with Hamas. The move signaled a shift in diplomatic strategy amid ongoing tensions and the faltering talks that had previously held out hope for a broader ceasefire agreement.
Barnea reportedly directed the return of the negotiation team to Israel, stressing that Hamas had not fulfilled its commitments. The government’s communication described the obligation to release all women and children on the list provided to Hamas as a key element of the agreement, and it asserted that this obligation remained unmet by Hamas.
In a statement distributed by the Prime Minister’s Office, Barnea thanked Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani as well as U.S. and Egyptian counterparts for their roles in mediation efforts and ongoing coordination to free hostages. Qatar had been a key mediator from the early days of the conflict and played a pivotal part in arranging the temporary ceasefire arrangement.
Release of hostages
On November 24, Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day ceasefire that involved a planned exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The accord was extended several times to allow for humanitarian considerations and potential progress in negotiations. During the humanitarian window, Hamas stated that 110 hostages had been released. The movement claimed that no women or children remained among the hostages at that time, a claim that drew considerable scrutiny and discussion from international observers.
Officials from Hamas asserted that the released detainees included a mix of women and children, while further statements cast doubt on the makeup of the remaining captives. The leader quoted by Al Jazeera described the retained captives as soldiers and civilians associated with a coalition offensive, reflecting the complexity of the hostage issue and the differing narratives from each side. Meanwhile, the Israeli Defense Forces maintained that Hamas still held a significant number of Israeli hostages, including women and children, illustrating the persistent deadlock and human toll of the conflict.