Hamas Accuses Israel of Undermining Gaza Ceasefire Efforts
Spokesman Hazem Qassem confirmed that backchannel communication with mediators continues, aimed at finding what he described as reasonable and acceptable approaches to various tracks of the second phase of the agreement. He accused Israel of actively undermining the deal through military conduct and inflammatory political declarations.
"Israel is turning against the agreement," Qassem said, pointing to Israeli announcements of plans to seize control of over 70% of Gaza — moves Hamas characterizes as a blueprint for the mass displacement of the territory's population.
His remarks follow a Thursday acknowledgment by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israeli forces already control roughly 60% of Gaza, with plans to extend that footprint to 70%.
Qassem warned that the trajectory of events is placing the credibility of all parties — including mediators — on the line, and urged them to adopt a clear and decisive stance. He insisted Hamas has shown openness and flexibility toward constructive ideas on the second phase, but argued that Israel is the sole obstacle to advancement.
Hamas also trained its criticism on Nikolay Mladenov, executive director of the Peace Council, accusing him of complicating negotiations by bundling multiple issues into a single track. Qassem called on Mladenov to clearly address what Hamas describes as Israeli violations and warned him against becoming "a partner" in any future military escalation in Gaza.
The ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, 2025 — ending two years of war that killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and wounded over 172,000 others — has since been strained by persistent hostilities. Gaza's Health Ministry reports that 929 Palestinians have been killed and 2,811 injured in what Hamas characterizes as Israeli violations since the truce began.
Under the second phase of US President Donald Trump's Gaza plan, Israel was expected to carry out further territorial withdrawals while an international stabilization force assumed security responsibilities, including overseeing humanitarian aid delivery and reconstruction efforts.
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