Hamas is threatening the collapse the US-backed ceasefire after a series of Israeli airstrikes and a rising death toll in Gaza over much of the past week. However, Israel's military in fresh Sunday statements has said it is Hamas terrorists repeatedly violating the truce.
"The agreement is over and [Hamas] is ready to fight," Hamas sources have been cited in regional outlets as saying. Hamas has reportedly communicated its stance to US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, that it is ready to end the ceasefire.
But Israeli media in follow-up stated, "Hamas later that evening stated that Israeli reports that it had told Witkoff that the ceasefire was over were not true. Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzook also confirmed to the Qatari outlet Al Jazeera Mubasher that the terror group had not ended the ceasefire."
The ceasefire is clearly as fragile as it has ever been since taking effect on October 10:
An American source told Walla that "Hamas has not given up yet, but has made it clear that it will not be able to accept any more Israeli attacks. Gaza will not be Lebanon for them, and I hope we can contain the situation." —Jerusalem Post
Israel's military has accused terrorists of breaching the so-called Yellow Line which demarcates a truce 'do not cross' zone; but meanwhile Hamas has asserted Israeli occupation is committing a flagrant breach by steadily moving the 'Yellow Line' westward.
Gaza officials have said that the significant and rising death toll since the ceasefire took effect shows it is Israel doing the violating:
Israel has violated the United States-brokered Gaza ceasefire at least 497 times in 44 days, killing hundreds of Palestinians since the ceasefire came into effect on 10 October, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.
Some 342 civilians have been killed in the attacks, with children, women and the elderly accounting for the majority of the victims.
But Israeli officials and media have rejected this narrative, and have instead said that "On Saturday, a Palestinian gunman crossed the ceasefire line and opened fire on Israeli troops in Gaza’s south, leading to IDF strikes in the Strip."
Saturday alone saw some 24 Palestinians killed in a series of renewed Israeli airstrikes across the Strip. Washington has urged restraint and for both sides to observe the ceasefire, but Trump officials have also conceded that Israel has the right to act in specific instances where its troops in Gaza come under attack.
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