Israel resumes bombardment of Gaza after cease-fire with Hamas ends

Israel’s specialized canine unit, Oketz, performed the key task of saving the lives of civilians and soldiers by alerting them to potential dangers, including explosives and weapon caches, even at the expense of their own lives.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) boasts one of the most cutting-edge fighting forces, having integrated artificial intelligence into many of its operations, but some tasks still require an old-school approach. This is where the Oketz unit makes its mark.

"There are a few types of dogs used by the unit, some are confidential, most of them are types of [shepherds]," an officer known as "Major A," an operative canine warfare school commander for the Oketz unit, told Fox News Digital.

"They are used for three main reasons: tactical dogs that are used to identify enemies; explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) dogs for finding explosives and others; and search and rescue dogs that took a vital part in this war in Israel and Gaza," Major A said.

Major A could not divulge how many dogs serve in the unit – the total remaining confidential – but he said it has counted "hundreds of dogs."

Video provided by the IDF shows the dogs in action: in one clip, identifying a booby-trapped car; in another, clearing a room before soldiers enter.

The Oketz unit helped the Marom Special Operations Brigade expose roughly 50 booby-trapped explosive devices and dozens of weapons stockpiles before the four-day cease-fire, which has now extended two more days as Hamas continues to release hostages in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli custody and further pauses in the fighting.

Fox News' Peter Aitken contributed to this report.

Arturo Holmes/WireImage

Television star Julianna Margulies issued an apology after comments she made slamming Black and LGBTQ supporters of Hamas sparked intense backlash on social media.

"I am horrified by the fact that statements I made on a recent podcast offended the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities, communities I truly love and respect," Margulies told Deadline on Friday. "I want to be 100% clear: Racism, homophobia, sexism, or any prejudice against anyone’s personal beliefs or identity are abhorrent to me, full stop."

She continued, "Throughout my career I have worked tirelessly to combat hate of all kind, end antisemitism, speak out against terrorist groups like Hamas, and forge a united front against discrimination. I did not intend for my words to sow further division, for which I am sincerely apologetic."

During an interview on the Nov. 20 episode of "The Back Room" podcast, Margulies sounded off on the support for Hamas on college campuses across the country following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks against Israel.

"Who's teaching these kids because the fact that the entire Black community isn't standing with us, to me, says either they just don't know or they've been brainwashed to hate Jews," Margulies said.

Fox News' Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., during the House Armed Services markup of the fiscal 2011 defense authorization bill. (Scott J. Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images)

Washington state Democrat Rep. Adam Smith said his home was vandalized by cease-fire activists. 

In a statement, Smith said his home in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue was targeted Thursday night.  

"Last night, my house was vandalized by people advocating for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. This attack is sadly reflective of the coarsening of the political discourse in our country, and is completely unwarranted, unnecessary, and harmful to our political system," Smith said. 

"Throughout the course of my career, my staff and I have continually met with groups from all parts of the political spectrum, including Pro-Palestinian and left-wing activists, and I remain open to meeting with these groups and discussing our differences and where we can come together in a productive and peaceful way,” he added. “We must engage with politics in this way and reject the rise in political violence that we have witnessed over the past several years."

Other lawmakers have been targeted in vandalism attacks.  

California Republican Rep. David Valadao's Hanford, California office was vandalized by anti-Israel activists on Nov. 27. 

"This morning, my Hanford office was vandalized by anti-Israel protestors. I strongly support the right to peaceful protest, but violence and vandalism are never acceptable. In a democracy, harassment and intimidation is not how you make your voice heard," Rep. Valadao posted on X.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed to this report.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths gestures as he stands near damaged buildings, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Aleppo, Syria. REUTERS/Firas Makdesi

The United Nations head of relief is urging for Israel and Hamas to enter another cease-fire on humanitarian grounds as both sides resumed fighting on Friday.  

Martin Griffiths, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said people in the Gaza Strip have nowhere safe to flee, in a statement. 

“Almost two months into the fighting, the children, women and men of Gaza are all terrified,” he said. “They have nowhere safe to go and very little to survive on. They live surrounded by disease, destruction and death.“

"This is unacceptable,” he added. 

The Israel Defense Forces resumed fighting against Hamas Friday, following a temporary truce amid several prisoner exchanges and the flow of humanitarian aid into the Hamas-controlled territory. 

Israeli forces dropped leaflets in the Gaza city of  Khan Younis on Friday, warning that the southern city was a “dangerous battle zone.” Other leaflets warned Gazans in the north to head south. 

“The past week offered us a glimpse of what can happen when the guns fall silent,” Griffiths said. “The situation in Khan Younis today is a shocking reminder of what happens when they don’t.”

People look at Israeli police officers and volunteers from the Zaka rescue service work at the shooting attack in Jerusalem on Thursday. Two gunman opened fire on a crowded bus station at the entrance of Jerusalem, killing people and wounding others, according to Jerusalem police. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

The Israel Defense Forces said it temporarily seized two homes where two Palestinian men involved in Thursday’s deadly bus stop attack in Jerusalem live. 

Murad Nemer and Ebrahim Nemer carried out the shooting that killed four people and several others were injured, the IDF said.  

The shooting occurred near a bus stop at the entrance to the city, authorities said.  

The homes seized are located in east Jerusalem and have been sealed off.

Lynn Hastings, the head of the humanitarian operations in the Palestinian Territories, visits Gaza City May 22, 2021. REUTERS/Nidal al-Mughrabi/File Photo

Israel will not renew a visa for a top United Nations humanitarian official for the Gaza Strip and West Bank, the U.N. said.   

Lynn Hastings has served as the special coordinator for the Middle East peace process and U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian Territory for nearly three years, Reuters reported. 

"We've been informed by the Israeli authorities that they would not renew the visa of Ms Hastings past the due date at some point later this month," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters. 

Dujarric didn’t say whether Hastings will be replaced.  

In October, Israel accused Hastings of failing to be impartial, which the U.N. rejected.  

"You've seen some very public attacks on Twitter against her which were utterly unacceptable," Dujarric said. "Personal direct attacks on U.N. personnel anywhere around the world is unacceptable and puts people's lives at risks." 

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the conflict in Hamas-controlled Gaza has become an “epic humanitarian catastrophe.”

Police are investigating an incident where a protestor allegedly tried lighting themselves on fire outside of a midtown Atlanta building. (WANF)

An Atlanta protester tried lighting themselves on fire outside the Israeli consulate on Friday in what authorities said was most likely an act of political protest.  

A security guard tried to intervene and was also burned on the wrist and leg, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a news conference.  

A Palestinian flag was recovered at the scene. The protester was badly burned and transported to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition. 

The protester and security guard were taken to a hospital.  

Officials don't believe the incident was terrorism, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said in a press briefing, calling it likely an "extreme act of political protest." 

“We are saddened to learn of the self-immolation at the entrance to the office building. It is tragic to see the hate and incitement toward Israel expressed in such a horrific way," said Anat Sultan-Dadon, Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States.

"The sanctity of life is our highest value," he added. "Our prayers are with the security officer who was injured while trying to prevent this tragic act. We are grateful to the city of Atlanta’s law enforcement and first responders for all they do to ensure safety.”

Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

Ofra Keidar, 70, has died while in Hamas captivity, the Kibbutz Be'eri said Friday.

A sixth hostage died while being held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, her kibbutz said Friday.  

Ofra Keidar, 70, was taken by Hamas terrorist fighters on Oct, 7, the Kibbutz Be'eri  said in a news release. The kibbutz said it learned of her death on Friday.  

Keidar’s husband, Sami, was killed at his home on the day of the attack.  

“The kibbutz community embraces Ofra's family - her children - Elad, Oren and Yael, her grandchildren, and all her family members, and shares in their unbearable grief,” the kibbutz said.  

The names of five other hostages who have died while being held by Hamas were also released Friday.

Israel said its air force attacked terrorist infrastructure in Gaza on Friday as fighting resumed after a days-long truce that expired hours earlier. 

The Israel Defense Forces said fighter jets targeted “military headquarters where Hamas terrorists operated, underground sites and a military building from which anti-tank missiles were launched at fighters earlier today,” in a post on X. 

“IDF forces attacked a number of terrorist squads throughout the Gaza Strip, including a squad identified by observers of the Northern Brigade in the Gaza Division,” the IDF said.  

The Israeli air force also eliminated two squads that launched mortars at IDF forces in Gaza, authorities said.  

The military operation came hours after a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas expired Friday morning.  

During the cease-fire, hostages and Palestinian prisoners were exchanged.

Israeli soldiers inspect houses destroyed by Hamas militants Kibbutz Nir Oz. The kibbutz was overrun by Hamas militants from the nearby Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, when they killed and captured many Israelis. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israel confirmed the death of a fifth hostage being held in Gaza on Friday.  

Eliyahu Margalit, 75, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, died and her body was being held by Hamas, Daniel Hagri, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said during a news briefing.  

Margalit’s daughter, Nili Margalit was released from captivity Thursday night.  The bodies of five hostages who died in Gaza are still being held by Hamas, authorities said.

All five were members of the Kibbutz Nir Oz. 

Guy Illouz, 26, a fourth hostage, was determined to be dead, a news release announcing the deaths said. Illouz was a musician soundman and was kidnapped from the Nova Music festival on Oct. 7.  

Aria (Zalman) Zalmanowicz, 85, founder of the Kibbutz Nir Oz, has also died. Hamas released a video of him appearing ill a few weeks ago.

Zalman was a father of two and grandfather of five. Maya Goren, 56, was a kindergarten teacher whose husband, Avner Goren, was killed during the Hamas attack last month.  

Ronen Engel, 54, was a photographer, a volunteer in Magen David Adom, the national EMS organization.

His wife and two daughters were abducted to Gaza on and released this week.

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Friday that four Americans have been released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip, not six as he previously announced yesterday.

"I said the number of American hostages that we got out was six. And obviously, that's incorrect. It's four. So I apologize for the error, but the error was mine and it was just as a result of misspeaking," Kirby said.

Kirby also said the U.S. on Friday continues to work with Israel, Egypt and Qatar to restore the cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

"But let's be clear about this. It's because of Hamas that this pause ended, that they were just simply unable, failed to produce a list of hostages that could help enable that pause from extending," Kirby told reporters. "So the onus is on Hamas to be able to produce a list of hostages that can get out so that we can try to get this pause back in place. 

"What I can tell you is that the president and the entire national security team will continue to remain deeply engaged on this as we continue to want to see more hostages released and more aid getting in," Kirby added, noting that "if Hamas truly, as they claim to do care about Palestinians, they'll do what they can to come up with a list of hostages that can be exchanged so that that aid can continue to flow."

Israeli soldiers work on armored military vehicles along Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on Monday, Nov. 20. (AP/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israel is hoping to create a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of the Gaza Strip to protect itself against future attacks following the conclusion of its war with Hamas, Reuters is reporting Friday, citing Egyptian and regional sources.

"Israel wants this buffer zone between Gaza and Israel from the north to the south to prevent any Hamas or other militants from infiltrating or attacking Israel," the news agency quoted a senior regional security official as saying.

Three regional sources told Reuters that the idea has been mentioned by Israel to Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Ophir Falk, the foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said to Reuters that "a buffer zone may be part of the demilitarization process" after the war.

Falk reportedly added that Israel wants to carry out a "three-tier process" of destroying Hamas, demilitarizing the Gaza Strip and then deradicalizing the area.

The Israeli Air Force has shared footage appearing to show an airstrike being carried out Friday against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

"Fighter jets and helicopter gunships attacked terrorist infrastructures of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanese territory in response to launches towards the territory of the State of Israel during the day," it wrote in a post on X.

"In addition, an Air Force aircraft attacked a firing squad in the Malkia area that attempted to fire at Israeli territory," the Israeli Air Force also said.

Hezbollah earlier claimed it attacked a group of Israeli soldiers near Israel's northern border with Lebanon.

Hezbollah fighters used “suitable weapons” against the Israeli troops, the terror group said in a statement. There were no reported casualties.

Fox News' Lawrence Richard and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the media prior to departure from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, Dec. 1.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that Israel is taking steps to “get people out of harm’s way” as it has resumed its military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.  

“On the civilian protection and humanitarian assistance piece of this, that is absolutely imperative, and we saw Israel take steps immediately today, to start to get information to people about where safe areas are, how they can get out of harm’s way,” Blinken said in Dubai on the sidelines of the COP28 climate change conference, according to the Associated Press. 

Blinken said it was too early to say if Israel had fully followed through on commitments he said the Israelis had given him to ensure that any military operation in southern Gaza not produce similarly high death tolls as its earlier operations in northern Gaza, the AP also reported. 

Palestinian health officials are claiming dozens of people have already been killed Friday in Gaza as Hamas continues to hold onto hostages captured at the start of the war on Oct. 7. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A family member of two Israeli boys released from Hamas captivity this week said they were branded like cattle, among other abuses, in the weeks they were held in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to a report.

Brothers Yagil Yaakov, 12, and Or Yaakov, 16, were freed Wednesday during a temporary cease-fire that saw the release of approximately 110 hostages. Their uncle said the terrorists branded each boy by using the exhaust pipe of a motorcycle to identify them in case they escaped, the Times of Israel reported.

"They told us stories about what they went through inside Gaza. The stories are horrible," Yaniv Yaakov said in North Macedonia with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. "Each child that was taken by Hamas was taken on a motorbike, and they took every child, took his leg and put it on the exhaust of that motorbike, so they have a burn, so they will be marked if they run, if they escape, so [Hamas] can find them."

He added, "They were drugged, they were treated so badly, but at least they are with us."

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett confirmed the details of the branding on social media platform X, saying, "We now know that Hamas terrorists who held hostage 13-year-old Yagel Yaacov and his brother Or, used a boiling hot motorcycle exhaust to ‘imprint’ a burn on their legs as a way to identify them if they try to escape."

"Let me repeat: They took a boiling piece of metal and pinned it to the legs of a helpless 13-year-old captive child," he added.

When a user pressed him for evidence of the claim, he said he met with the children and saw their scars.

Read more here: Hamas terrorists branded Israeli children hostages in case they escaped, relative says

Israeli forces struck Lebanon's southern village of Jibbayn near the border with Israel amid tensions between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah, on November 23, 2023.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah has claimed an attack on a group of Israeli soldiers on Friday near Israel's northern border with Lebanon.

The attack is the first to be carried out by Hezbollah against Israeli troops along the border after a temporary cease-fire went into effect on Nov. 24 between Israel and Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah. The truce expired Friday morning, Dec. 1.

Hezbollah fighters used “suitable weapons” against the Israeli troops near an Israeli post known in Lebanon as Jal Allam, the terror group said in a statement. There were no reported casualties.

Israel’s military Aerial Defense Array also successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed from Lebanon into Israel.

When the temporary truce expired on Friday, fighting continued in Gaza with Hamas firing rockets into Israel and the Israeli military answering the attack with airstrikes.

Hezbollah first started attacking Israeli posts along the border on Oct. 8, a day after Hamas triggered a war with Israel with a deadly surprise attack.

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

Family members of the American citizens still being held hostage in Gaza are urging the Red Cross to act on its imperative to deliver life-saving care immediately.

“We are outraged knowing our loved ones, including those with grave injuries, have not yet received the critically needed medical care and humanitarian aid from the Red Cross to which they are entitled under the pause agreement with Hamas,” the families said in a statement released Friday.

The families urged the Red Cross to honor its international mandate to visit civilian detainees in times of war to monitor their treatment and conditions.  

“The United States funds 25% of the Red Cross’s budget. Yet not a single American hostage has been visited to date. After 55 days of agony, we still don’t know anything about the condition of our loved ones, but we do know many of them were taken with life-threatening injuries, and they need medical attention now,” the statement continued.

“We call on the Red Cross to demand immediate, unfettered access to the nearly 150 hostages still in captivity. We urge the U.S. government and international community to use their influence and financial leverage to push the Red Cross to fulfill its role and responsibility to the hostages. And we implore donors, financial institutions, and other supporters of the Red Cross to make their voices heard on the matter and demand action to provide oversight and life-saving care to hostages immediately,” they added.

People look at posters of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, in Jerusalem, on Nov. 27, 2023. Chen Junqing/Xinhua via Getty Images

And, the families said: “We cannot wait a moment longer. While the Red Cross dithers, our family members are dying. They have lived in captivity for more than 8 weeks with grave injuries inflicted by Hamas – broken bones, limbs blown off, gunshot wounds, and more. They are malnourished and reports show they are being subjected to physical and mental torture. The Red Cross is neglecting sick, critically wounded, and disabled people at a time of greatest need. We need action now to save their lives.” 

The families are also urging major donors of the Red Cross including financial institutions like Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and PayPal, to leverage their influence to call for immediate action. 

Israeli authorities determined the death of 3 people that were kidnapped by Hamas. They are Aria Zalmanowicz, Maya Goren and Ronen Engel. All are from Kibbutz Nir-Oz. (Background by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images) (Inserts released by Israeli authorities)

Israeli authorities determined the deaths of three people who were kidnapped by Hamas during the Oct. 7 terror attack. 

The hostages were Aria Zalmanowicz, 85, May Goren, 56, and Ronen Engel, 54. All three were from Kibbutz Nir-Oz, an Israeli border community.

Zalmanowicz was a founder of the kibbutz. He was a father of two and grandfather of five grandchildren. A news release said he was an avid reader who loved history and was "dedicated to agriculture his entire life."

Goren was a mother of four children, Assif, Bar, Gal and Dekel. She was a kindergarten teacher who "gave loving care to the kibbutz children for many years." Her husband, 56-year-old Avner Goren, was murdered in the Oct. 7th massacre.

Engel was a married father of three. He was a photographer, a volunteer for Israel's national EMS organization and a motorcycle enthusiast. His wife, Carina, and two daughters, Mika and Yuval, were abducted to Gaza on Oct. 7 and were released this week. 

Fox News' Dana Karni contributed to this update.

Read more here: Israel-Hamas war: Israeli authorities announce 3 hostages taken into Gaza are dead

Democratic lawmakers are putting MSNBC on full blast over its decision to cancel far-left host Mehdi Hasan’s weekend program, questioning the timing of the move as Hasan has been vocal about his views of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

MSNBC revealed Thursday that Hasan will lose his Sunday show, as well as his program on the Peacock streaming service, but will stay at the network as an on-camera analyst and fill-in host. The move was announced as part of a broader overhaul of MSNBC's weekend programming. 

"Squad" member Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., heralded Hasan as "one of the most brilliant and most prominent Muslim journalists in the U.S." but expressed her concerns about his demotion. 

"It is deeply troubling that MSNBC is canceling his show amid a rampant rise of anti-Muslim bigotry and suppression of Muslim voices. Anyone who cares about free expression should be concerned," Omar posted on social media. 

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., went even further, calling on MSNBC to provide a public explanation behind its programming decision. 

"It is bad optics for MSNBC to cancel @mehdirhasan's show right at a time when he is vocal for human rights in Gaza with the war ongoing," Khanna wrote. "As a strong supporter of free speech, MSNBC owes the public an explanation for this decision. Why would they choose to do this now?"

Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., who launched a primary bid against President Biden, also praised Hasan as being an "important voice during his tenure at @MSNBC" despite him still remaining with the network. 

"America is best served by platforming more perspectives, diversity of opinion, and provocative debate - not less," Phillips added. 

MSNBC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. 

Fox News Digital's Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this update.

Siblings Ayesha Alzyadna, 17, and Bilal Alzyadna, 18, were reunited with their family after their release by the terrorist organization Hamas. (Office of Prime MInister Benjamin Netanyahu)

Photographs released by the Israeli prime minister's office show siblings Bilal and Ayesha Alzyadna as they reunited with family members at Soroka Hospital after their release by Hamas.

The emotional reunion took place after the siblings were freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israel says 110 hostages were released during the cease-fire that began last week, 86 Israelis and 24 who are foreign nationals.

In exchange, Israel freed three times as many Palestinian prisoners as part of a temporary truce with Hamas.

That cease-fire is now over after the Israel Defense Forces said Hamas violated the terms by firing a rocket into Israeli territory. Hamas claims Israel broke the truce by declining an offer to free more hostages.

Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levi said Friday that 137 hostages remain in the Gaza Strip. There are 117 males and 20 females, including children, still held captive who were kidnapped in the Oct. 7 terror attack. Ten of the remaining hostages are aged 75 or older. 

Israeli tanks are seen near the Israel-Gaza border on Friday after the end of a seven-day truce between Israel and Hamas militants. (Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Israel aims to kill the top three leaders of Hamas and will continue the war in Gaza into early 2024 at least to accomplish that goal, according to a report.

While Israel's air and ground offensive has mostly targeted the northern Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 terror attack, the county is preparing for a long campaign to eradicate Hamas that will send Israeli forces into the south Gaza Strip, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

The military's goal is to kill Hamas' top three commanders — Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Marwan Issa — and secure "a decisive" military victory that would eliminate Hamas' 24 battalions, destroy its underground tunnel network and end the terror group's "governing capability in Gaza," the report said.

“This will be a very long war . . . We’re currently not near halfway to achieving our objectives,” a source familiar told the Financial Times. 

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk speaks during a press conference in Cairo on November 8, 2023, following a visit to Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. (Photo by KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)

The top United Nations official for human rights called the end of the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas "catastrophic" and urged the international community to press both sides for another pause. 

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement issued in Geneva on Friday that the situation in Gaza “is beyond crisis point” as more Palestinians risk being killed or “forcibly displaced to already severely overcrowded and unsanitary parts of Gaza.”

He said “recent comments by Israeli political and military leaders indicating that they are planning to expand and intensify the military offensive are very troubling.”

Türk said both Israel and Hamas have an "obligation to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need, throughout Gaza.”

Israeli warplanes carried out strikes in the Gaza Strip on Friday after the Israel Defense Forces intercepted a missile fired from Gaza and said Hamas broke the cease-fire. 

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

KHIRBET ZANUTA, WEST BANK -- NOVEMBER 16, 2023: A Palestinian home sits abandoned after its inhabitants left due to repeated instances of Israeli settler violence and harassment, in the Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta, West Bank, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. (MARCUS YAM / LOS ANGELES TIMES)

The Biden administration is preparing to impose travel bans on Israeli settlers accused of carrying out attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, the Associated Press reported.

The report cited a senior U.S. official who said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war Cabinet on Thursday that the administration desires to hold settlers accountable for these attacks, but would not act unilaterally. 

Visa bans against an as-yet undetermined number of settlers could be announced as early as next week, the official said. The official spoke to reporters accompanying Blinken on his latest trip to the Middle East as he flew from Tel Aviv to Dubai.

Blinken previously raised concerns over Israeli settler violence at a news conference on Thursday after his meetings in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

“We’re looking to the Israeli government to take some additional steps to really put a stop to this. And at the same time, we’re considering our own steps,” he said.

Settlers affected by the travel ban would be excluded from the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens of member countries visa-free entry into the United States for up to 90 days. Israel joined the program earlier this year. 

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

Palestinians evacuate wounded in Israeli bombardment Rafah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)

Pakistan condemned the resumption of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Friday, accusing the Jewish state of "war crimes" and demanding a renewed cease-fire to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch made the comments during a weekly news conference on Friday, the Associated Press reported.

She said the temporary pause in fighting that ended Friday had given the people of Gaza a needed respite. 

“Pakistan reiterates its call for a durable and sustained cease-fire to enable supply of extensive and robust humanitarian assistance; urgent medical aid to the injured; and shelter to those who have been displaced as a result of the indiscriminate and inhumane bombing campaign by Israeli occupation forces,” she said.

Baloch said Pakistan supports a comprehensive investigation into "attacks against medical facilities, schools, mosques, churches, residential buildings and water facilities and urges full accountability for the war crimes being perpetrated in occupied Palestine.”

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

KHAN YUNIS, GAZA - DECEMBER 01: Palestinians begin to migrate to areas in the central part of the city due to Israeli attacks following the end of the week-long humanitarian pause in Khan Yunis, Gaza on December 01, 2023. (Photo by Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Israel Defense Forces have declared Khan Younis – a Hamas stronghold in Gaza acting as a temporary headquarters – a war zone and warned residents in the nearby areas to evacuate south toward the Rafah crossing.

The military released a map Friday that divided the Gaza Strip into hundreds of numbered parcels and asked residents to locate themselves in case of an eventual evacuation.

The parcels were crudely drawn, with lines cutting across streets in some cases. The map, which Israel said would eventually be interactive, was published hours after Israel-Hamas fighting resumed, ending a weeklong truce that had been negotiated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

Before the truce, the main combat zone was in northern Gaza, the focus of Israeli ground forces. Now, the Israeli military's attention appears to have shifted to southern Gaza, packed with some 2 million Palestinians, including hundreds of thousands who fled the north.

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

This picture taken from southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip shows a rocket being fired from inside Gaza towards Israel, as battles resumed between the Israeli forces and Hamas militants, on December 1, 2023. (JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Hours after Israel resumed its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry said 32 people had been killed and dozens wounded. Hours later, they updated the figure to 54 dead.

Fighting between Israel and Hamas initially stopped on Nov. 24 after both sides negotiated a temporary cease-fire to exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel. It initially lasted for four days, but was extended for several days with the help of Qatar and fellow mediator Egypt.

Qatar, which has served as mediator along with Egypt, expressed "deep regret" over the Israeli bombardments, saying the resumption of violence further complicates its attempts to negotiate peace.

"The State of Qatar expresses its deep regret at the resumption of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip following the end of the humanitarian pause, without reaching an agreement to extend it," the Qatari Foreign Ministry said.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that negotiations between the two sides are continuing with the aim of returning to a pause. It also clarifies that the State of Qatar is committed, along with its mediation partners, to continuing the efforts that led to the humanitarian pause, and will not hesitate to do everything necessary to return to calm," it added.

And, "The Ministry stresses that the continued bombing of the Gaza Strip in the first hours after the end of the pause complicates mediation efforts and exacerbates the humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip, and in this context calls on the international community to move quickly to stop the violence."

These negotiators are continuing talks to restart the truce, according to mediator Qatar.

Israeli fighter jets struck several targets in the Gaza Strip just minutes after a weeklong truce expired on Friday morning, resuming the war with Hamas.

After more than 100 hostages were freed as part of the cease-fire and Palesitnians in Gaza experienced days of peace for the first time since a wider war broke out between Israel and Hamas, which governs the territory, black smoke billowed from the besieged territory once again.

The renewed hostilities came as Israel and Hamas have traded blame for the collapse of the cease-fire, with each saying the other side violated the terms of the truce.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu specifically said Hamas had "not met its obligation to release all of the women hostages today and has launched rockets at Israeli citizens."

The Israeli military’s announcement of the resumption of strikes came only 30 minutes after the cease-fire expired at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) Friday.

One airstrike destroyed a large building in Khan Younis. Another strike hit an apartment in a multi-story residential building in Hamad City. Elsewhere, a strike hit a home near Gaza City in the north, and in the refugee camp of Maghazi, near Gaza's center.