Hamas says group doing ‘maximum’ to give Gaza ceasefire deal chance to succeed
Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, has told Al Jazeera from Istanbul that Israel keeps playing “dirty games” to undermine the ceasefire deal.
He said the group warned the mediators, including the US, that the Israeli violations – the delays in aid deliveries as well as killing Palestinians in Gaza – could threaten the agreement.
“From day one, our goal was how to stop this aggression, how to prevent the war against our people again and again, therefore we have discussed with the mediators that we are ready to overcome any problems, any obstacles, any challenges in order to give this deal a chance to succeed,” Naim said.
But he warned that “if Israelis insist on violations” this could prompt the collapse of the accord.
“We still have a lot of cards in our hands to respond [to Israel’s violations]. We can postpone the handover of prisoners. We are doing the maximum in cooperation with the mediators to avoid all these obstacles,” Naim added.
Trump’s proposal a clear call for ethnic cleansing: Hamas official
We have more from our interview with top Hamas official Basem Naim.
Asked to comment on US President Donald Trump’s recent proposal to forcibly displace the Palestinians in Gaza, Naim said this was “a crime against humanity” and “a clear call for ethnic cleansing”.
The member of Hamas’s political bureau said Trump’s proposal should be condemned “very strongly and decisively from everyone – from Arabs, Muslims, and the international community”.
Naim stressed it is the Palestinians who will decide for themselves where and how to live.
“If a Palestinian decides to live in a tent above the rubble of his house, this is his decision,” he added. “We didn’t ask Trump or anyone to decide for us where to live and how to live.”
Naim also said Palestinians have a lot of experience from Israel’s past wars on Gaza in how to rebuild destroyed houses and neighbourhoods while the population remains in the territory.
After captives’ release, Israel supposed to withdraw from Netzarim Corridor
As per the ceasefire agreement, after today’s captives for prisoners release, the Israeli military is supposed to withdraw completely from the Netzarim Corridor and allow free movement back and forth between the southern and northern parts of the Gaza Strip.
The Netzarim Corridor has been controlled by the Israeli military since the beginning of the war, impeding movement from the south to the north.
Right now, people have to be very careful when they move in the area. Everything has been very unpredictable in the past few weeks since the beginning of the ceasefire.
We have seen two vehicles struck by the Israeli military on al-Rashid Street.
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