Hamas may be planning attack on Palestinian civilians, US says

The terrorist group Hamas could be planning an attack against “Palestinian civilians” in the Gaza Strip, the US State Department announced on Saturday.

In a statement, the State Department said it “informed the guarantor nations of the Gaza peace agreement of credible reports indicating an imminent violation of the ceasefire by Hamas against the people of Gaza.”

He did not provide any details about the possible attack, target or location, or when it might occur, saying only that it would “constitute a direct and serious violation of the ceasefire agreement and undermine the significant progress achieved through mediation efforts.”

“If Hamas continues this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire,” the State Department added. He did not disclose what those measures might entail.

this is also coming after News themezone obtained video Wednesday, showing armed Hamas fighters standing next to Palestinians they have accused of being members of gangs collaborating with Israel. Moments later in the video, they are executed.

Israeli hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin told News themezone that the video shows a long pattern of punishment that Hamas uses against suspected collaborators with Israel.

“Hamas is killing them because they can,” Baskin told News themezone this week. “Hamas is a criminal organization that has ruled the Palestinian people in Gaza for almost 20 years. This is not a democratic and liberal regime.”

Baskin also explained that Palestinian militia groups opposing Hamas had been armed by Israel. during the war in an effort to weaken the power of Hamas.

“Israel has strengthened, with weapons and money, gangs of Palestinians who were involved in mainly illegal activities in the past (drug sales, illegal smuggling) and has empowered them as an alternative to Hamas,” Baskin said. “This is not sustainable.”

President Trump appeared to acknowledge on Tuesday that Hamas was involved in violence against Palestinian militia groups.

“They took out a couple of gangs that were very bad, very, very bad,” Trump said of Hamas while speaking to reporters. “And that didn’t bother me much, to be honest with you.”

Hamas’s role in Gaza’s future remains murky. Israel has demanded that Hamas disarm, and the ceasefire agreement requires it to relinquish its governance of the Palestinian territory to a “technocratic and apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for the day-to-day management of public services and municipalities for the people of Gaza.”

On Monday, Trump and world leaders signed The agreement mediated by the United States. designed to end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas.

As part of the deal, Hamas released 20 live hostages, while Israel released about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Israel also withdrew its troops to a previously approved line in Gaza.

The deal also requires Hamas to release the remains of 28 deceased hostages, but so far it has only released the remains of 10 of them. two other bodies They were released by Hamas on Saturday, but are awaiting identification.

According to the News, Israel has so far returned the bodies of 135 Palestinians to Gaza as part of the deal.

Débora Patta contributed to this report.

In:

• Hamas
• Israel
• Gaza Strip