Hamas says Israeli ‘breaches’ threaten ceasefire

A senior Hamas delegation met Egypt’s intelligence chief in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the ceasefire agreement and the situation in Gaza, the group said, as both Israel and the Palestinian group continue to trade accusations of truce violations.

Egypt, Qatar and the US have been mediating between Hamas and Israel, securing the ceasefire that came into effect last month.

In a statement, the group said it reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in its meeting with Egypt’s intelligence chief, but accused Israel of “continued violations” that it said threatened to undermine the deal.

Hamas, whose delegation included its exiled Gaza chief Khalil Al Hayya, called for a “clear and defined mechanism” under the supervision of mediators to document and halt any breaches of the deal.

The movement said it also discussed with Egypt ways to urgently resolve the issue of Hamas in Rafah tunnels, adding that communication with them had been cut off.

Reuters reported earlier this month that mediators were trying to address the fate of a group of Hamas fighters holed up in tunnel networks in Israeli-controlled areas of Gaza.

The post identified the commander as Alaa Al Hadidi, head of supply in Hamas’ production headquarters. It said he was killed in one of the attacks across the strip on Saturday. Hamas did not release a statement on the commander’s reported killing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said the country’s military killed five senior Hamas members on Saturday after a fighter was sent into Israeli-controlled Gaza territory to attack Israeli soldiers there.

Health officials in Gaza had said Israeli air strikes killed at least 20 people on Saturday. The military on Sunday said a local Hamas commander was among those killed in the Saturday strikes.

In a separate development, President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was still evaluating how to potentially deploy its security forces to an international stabilisation force being planned in Gaza, adding that a decision would be made after these discussions.

Nato member Turkey played a key role in negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, becoming one of the signatories of the accord signed in Egypt. It has vowed to monitor its implementation and voiced a desire to join the planned stabilisation force.

Reuters