Ceasefire Ends and War Continues in Gaza, Israeli PM: Hamas Has Not Fulfilled Its Obligations

Palestinians check their homes that were destroyed by Israeli attacks. (UNICEF/Abed Zaqout)

JAKARTA - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the Israeli military was continuing fighting in Gaza, because the Hamas militant group violated the terms of the ceasefire between both parties.

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, which had been going on for the past seven days, ended on Friday morning local time without any announcement of an extension.

Hamas "today did not honor its obligation to release all the kidnapped women and launched rockets at Israeli citizens," said PM Netanyahu, according to CNN, November 1.

With the return of combat missions, "the Israeli government is obliged to achieve combat targets," according to the prime minister.

He said the targets were “to free the hostages, liquidate Hamas” and to ensure Israeli citizens are no longer threatened by attacks from Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that with the end of the ceasefire, Hamas-related targets were again targeted for destruction.

The Israeli military's goal is to destroy the militant group "so they will not commit these crimes again in Israel, and at the same time, bring our people home," IDF spokesman Major Doron Spielman told CNN.

Spielman said Israel's military targets had not changed, namely Hamas personnel, fortifications, and rocket launch sites.

Asked about the IDF targeting civilian areas in Gaza, Spielman said: "We don't want to see Gaza civilians die, but Hamas operates directly from the territory, and we have to ask ourselves what is the alternative?"

"If we don't do anything, if we lay down our arms, we will only allow Hamas to carry out another attack like on October 7. I think morally that makes absolutely no sense," he said.