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More than 100 killed in Gaza in first hours after truce expired

The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip said 109 people had been killed in the Palestinian territory on Friday after a truce between Israel and Hamas expired and fighting resumed.

Spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said in a statement that the military had also tallied "hundreds of wounded in the Israeli aggression".

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Israel resumes its war on Gaza as truce expires

Israeli fighter jets hit Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Friday shortly after a weeklong truce expired, the military said, as the war resumed in full force.

Airstrikes hit southern Gaza, including the community of Abassan east of the town of Khan Younis, the Interior Ministry in the Hamas-run territory said. Another strike hit a home northwest of Gaza City.

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Blinken in Ramallah to meet Palestinian president Abbas

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday for a meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, AFP journalists saw.

Blinken arrived in an armoured convoy at the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority, which has partial administrative control in the West Bank, shortly after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

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Two hurt, assailant 'neutralized' in West Bank ramming attack

Two Israeli soldiers were slightly injured in a ramming attack on a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank Thursday, the Israeli army said, adding the assailant had been "shot and neutralized".

The military was "searching the area for additional suspects", it added in a statement. The attack came after a truce pausing fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip was extended for an additional day.

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US warship shoots down drone launched from Yemen

A US Navy warship has shot down a drone launched from a part of Yemen controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the American military's Central Command said.

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen and are part of an "axis of resistance" arrayed against Israel, have launched a series of drones and missiles since the start of the Israel-Hamas war last month.

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Blinken tells Netanyahu 'imperative' to protect Gaza civilians

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv early Thursday for talks with Israeli leaders on the truce with Hamas and the provision of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

It is Blinken's third visit to the Middle East since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the October 7 attack on Israel by the militant group which left more than 1,200 dead.

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Israel says it received new list of hostages to be released

The Israeli government said it received a new list of women and children hostages in the Gaza Strip to be released by Hamas on Thursday in exchange for a one-day extension of the truce.

"A short time ago, Israel was given a list of women and children in accordance with the terms of the agreement, and therefore the truce will continue," said the statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, without specifying the number of hostages to be released.

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Hamas claims responsibility for Jerusalem shooting that killed 3

Hamas claimed responsibility for a shooting attack in Jerusalem that killed three people on Thursday, shortly after the extension of a truce between Israel and the Islamist group that rules the Gaza Strip.

Police said the two gunmen who carried out the attack were from annexed east Jerusalem and were shot dead at the scene, near a bus stop on the western side of the city, where there are no checkpoints controlling entry.

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Day-long extension of Israel-Hamas truce agreed

A truce between Israel and Hamas was extended on Thursday just before it was due to expire, the two sides announced, with mediator Qatar reporting it would continue for one day under the same conditions that saw hostages released in exchange for prisoners.

Minutes before the halt in fighting was due to expire at 0500 GMT, Israel's military said the truce would be prolonged.

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Kuwait's ruling emir, 86, hospitalized but reportedly stable

The ruling emir of oil-rich Kuwait was hospitalized Wednesday "due to an emergency health problem" but later reported to be in stable condition, renewing the longstanding concerns over his health since he became ruler in 2020.

The report by the state-run KUNA news agency did not elaborate on the problem faced by 86-year-old Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah. However, Sheikh Nawaf has handed over power several times during his rule to his deputy while facing medical checks and other issues.

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