Hamas leader Ezzat Al-Resheq confirmed the Movement’s commitment to the ceasefire agreement in Gaza announced by mediators on Wednesday evening, emphasizing that the Movement “rejects Israeli policies of evasion and procrastination.”
Al-Resheq said via his Telegram channel on Thursday that the Movement is committed to the ceasefire agreement announced by the mediators yesterday. This comes after the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Thursday that Hamas is retracting its agreements and creating a last-minute crisis that prevents reaching an accord.
Netanyahu’s office alleged in a statement that Hamas “is retracting from the explicit understandings reached with the mediators and Israel, in a last-minute attempt at extortion.” It added that Israel “will not set a date for a cabinet and government meeting until the mediators announce that Hamas has agreed to all the details of the agreement.”
Qatar announced on Wednesday evening that the efforts of Qatari, Egyptian, and American mediation succeeded in reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, set to begin next Sunday. The Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, confirmed at the announcement that Qatar, Egypt, and the United States “will work to ensure the implementation of the agreement.”
The announcement of the agreement received widespread international support and joy from the Palestinians, especially in the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to a genocidal war by the Israeli occupation forces since October 7, 2023. It was met with criticism from Israeli far-right ministers who demand the continuation of the war.
Immediately after the announcement of the agreement, Hamas announced in a statement on Wednesday that the agreement arises from the Movement’s responsibility toward the Palestinian people to stop the Israeli aggression against them and to put an end to the massacres and genocide they are facing.
Hamas explained that the ceasefire agreement is “an achievement for the Palestinian people and the resistance, and a decisive station in the struggle against the enemy, on the path to achieving our people’s goals of liberation and return,” noting that it is “the fruit of the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and their resistance.”
Despite the announcement of the ceasefire agreement by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, Netanyahu, who has hindered reaching an agreement since November 2023, has yet to officially announce the conclusion of the agreement.
