The Hamas health ministry in Gaza said 29 people had been killed Friday in the initial hours after a truce between Israel and Hamas militants expired and hostilities resumed.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP the dead included 10 people killed in al-Maghazi in central Gaza, nine in Rafah in the south, and five in Gaza City in the north, following expiring of the truce at 7:00 am local time (0500 GMT).