UN chief 'deeply' regrets resumption of fighting in Gaza

GENEVA, Dec 1 (AFP): UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said he deeply regretted the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Friday and hoped a truce could be re-established.

Fighting resumed in Gaza on Friday immediately after the expiry of a week- long truce between Hamas and Israel, with the first fatalities reported minutes later, according to health officials in the Palestinian territory.

"I deeply regret that military operations have started again in Gaza," Guterres said on X, formerly Twitter.

"I still hope that it will be possible to renew the pause that was established. The return to hostilities only shows how important it is to have a true humanitarian ceasefire."

The truce had paused fighting that began on October 7 when Hamas militants broke through Gaza's militarised border into Israel.

The unprecedented attack killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and militants kidnapped about 240, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel vowed in response to eliminate Hamas and unleashed a relentless air and ground military campaign in Gaza that the territory's Hamas government says has killed more than 15,000 people, also mostly civilians.