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« Last post by Roger on February 13, 2025, 09:43:01 AM »
U.S./Israeli Provocations and Crimes in Palestine and Lebanon
Hamas Responds to U.S./Israeli Zionist Plotting to Derail Gaza Ceasefire Agreement
On February 10, an announcement by Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, informed that the next release of Israeli captives scheduled to take place in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, February 15, will be postponed.
In a post on his Telegram account, spokesman for the Brigades Abu Obeida said that "the handover of the Zionist prisoners who were slated for release next Saturday, February 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice, and until the occupation abides [by the terms of the ceasefire agreement] and compensates for the past weeks retroactively."
"During the past three weeks, the resistance commandership has monitored the enemy's violations and its failure to abide by the terms of the agreement, including delaying the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, and targeting them with shelling and gunfire," Abu Obeida added.
"We affirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation honours them," the spokesman affirmed.
Hamas accused Israel of actively working to derail the Gaza Ceasefire Agreement, a senior Palestinian official told Al Mayadeen.
The official stated that Israeli statements regarding the second phase of the deal signal an unwillingness to commit to a lasting ceasefire.
Moreover, Hamas, as per the official, sees Israel as relying heavily on U.S. President Donald Trump's reckless decisions to justify its policies and actions in the next phase.
Hamas says that if Israel does not adhere to the second phase of the agreement, it will pay a heavy price, the Palestinian official underscored.
Al Mayadeen reports that Israeli media on Sunday, February 9 suggested that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deliberately obstructing the ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, aiming to derail the agreement before its next phase.
Reports suggest that the Israeli delegation sent to Qatar lacks real authority, signaling Netanyahu's unwillingness to move forward with a deal that would secure the release of more Palestinian detainees and a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Ha'aretz cited sources stating that the delegation's presence in Doha is merely for show. According to Ha'aretz, Netanyahu's obstructionist tactics could lead to the ceasefire breaking down entirely. Analysts warn that Hamas, recognizing Israel's refusal to honour its commitments, may halt further captive releases.
"Hamas is not stupid," a source said. "They see the politicization of the negotiations, the placement of Netanyahu confidants Ron Dermer and Gal Hirsch [at the helm of negotiations], the threats by [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich and the right-wing ministers that they will dissolve the government. They understand where this is going."
Channel 12 confirmed that Netanyahu sent the delegation only to discuss technicalities and not to negotiate the second phase of the ceasefire. Officials stated, "This delegation has no real mandate. It will not deal with anything related to the second phase."
Hamas officials have warned that Israel's bad-faith approach could reignite hostilities. In an interview with AFP, Hamas politburo member Basem Naim criticized "Israel's" failure to fulfill its obligations. "The delay and lack of commitment in implementing the first phase," as well as the attempts to "pressure the Palestinian negotiators upon entering the second phase, certainly exposes this agreement to danger and thus it might stop and collapse," he said.
Israel Jeopardizes Ceasefire Agreement
Freed Palestinian prisoners arrive in Khan Yunis, February 1, 2025, as part of
prisoner exchange.
The first phase of the ceasefire which came into effect on January 19, set to last 42 days, stipulates that Hamas will release 33 women, children, and elderly captives in exchange for the freedom of hundreds of Palestinians, many of whom have been detained without charge.
The next phase, if honoured, would require Israel to release additional Palestinian detainees, halt military aggression, and withdraw from Gaza in exchange for the release of remaining captives.
Following the latest release, 73 captives out of the 251 taken on October 7 remain in Gaza, while at least 34 have been confirmed dead.
Hamas has so far handed over 21 captives under the current ceasefire, while 105 were released during a brief truce in November 2023.
Under the deal, 17 more captives should be released before the end of the first phase of the agreement.
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