Hamas has condemned the ‘threatening language and intimidation’ by U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they undermined the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas spokesman, Abdul Latif Al-Qanou, made this known in a statement on Thursday.
“We are not concerned with the collapse of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, and we are keen to implement it and oblige the occupation (Israel) to abide by it in full,” he said.
Al-Qanou also noted that mediators were working to ensure the full implementation of the agreement, including adherence to the humanitarian protocol and the resumption of hostage exchanges.
Hamas confirmed that its delegation arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the obstacles placed by Israel and ways to ensure the full execution of the ceasefire agreement.
This follows an announcement on Monday that the handover of hostages, scheduled for Saturday, would be postponed until further notice.
Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel would resume “intense fighting’’ if Hamas failed to meet the deadline, though he did not specify the number of hostages to be released.
Meanwhile, Trump suggested that Israel should cancel the agreement altogether, demanding the release of all hostages by noon on Saturday, or else he would “let hell break out.’’ (Xinhua/NAN)