Israel and Hamas exchanged accusations over delays to Gaza ceasefire talks after a senior commander was killed there.
Beit Lahia
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of obstructing progress toward the second phase of a United States-brokered peace plan for Gaza, heightening tensions despite an ongoing ceasefire. The exchange of accusations came on Monday, a day after the killing of a senior Hamas military commander near Gaza City, an incident that has further strained already fragile negotiations.
In a video statement released, Hamas’s Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya confirmed that Raed Saad, a senior Hamas commander, was killed in an Israeli attack the previous day. Al-Hayya accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement and undermining the broader peace framework brokered by the United States. He warned that continued military actions and targeted assassinations could threaten the viability of the agreement.
The continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement and the latest assassinations that targeted Saad and others threaten the viability of the agreement, al-Hayya said. He urged mediators, particularly US President Donald Trump, to pressure Israel to respect and fully adhere to the ceasefire terms.
Israel, however, rejected Hamas’s accusations and countered that Palestinian armed groups were delaying the process by refusing to hand over the remains of the last captive covered under the first phase of the agreement. Israeli officials also alleged that Hamas and allied groups were attempting to remilitarise during the truce, a claim Hamas has repeatedly denied.
The current ceasefire, which began on October 10, marked the first phase of the truce agreed upon in October. Phase one called for a halt to hostilities, the release of living captives and prisoners, the return of the remains of those killed, and the facilitation of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Only after the full implementation of these commitments was phase two expected to begin.
