SAEDNEWS: Hamas, the Palestinian resistance movement that governs Gaza, has rejected claims that it backed out of a ceasefire deal with Israel, saying the regime is inventing pretexts to undermine the agreement.
Speaking with Al Jazeera late on Saturday, senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzook said the movement only seeks to ensure the successful implementation of the deal and to halt the genocidal war against the Palestinian people. He added that all Israeli reports suggesting Hamas has resumed hostilities are “sheer lies.”
Similar remarks were echoed by Izzat al-Risheq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, after Israel killed 24 Palestinians in attacks across Gaza on Saturday, claiming the strikes followed an assault by a Hamas fighter on Israeli soldiers.
“Israel is fabricating pretexts to evade the agreement and return to the war of annihilation, while it is the party violating the agreement daily and systematically,” al-Risheq told Quds News Network, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The ceasefire deal, announced on October 10, required Israel to halt attacks and lift restrictions on aid entering Gaza in exchange for the return of its captives, dead or alive.
However, the regime has continued to restrict aid and has launched attacks on an almost daily basis.
According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Israel has violated the ceasefire at least 497 times, resulting in the deaths of some 342 Palestinians, Al Jazeera reported.