Hamas calls on ‘Peace Council’ members to take action over Israeli ceasefire violations

Hamas on Monday called on Arab and Islamic countries participating in the Peace Council to take what it described as a “clear and practical stance” in response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem accused Israel of continuing attacks that have killed Palestinian civilians despite the ceasefire agreement reached at Sharm El-Sheikh nearly a year ago.

Qassem pointed to Palestinians reportedly killed in Gaza on Monday, including women and children, and characterized the continuing attacks as an extension of what Hamas describes as Israel’s war of “extermination” in the territory.

He criticised the Peace Council and its institutions for what he described as their failure to explicitly identify Israel as responsible for undermining the ceasefire.

“The silence of the Peace Council and its institutions, and their inability to clearly identify the occupation as the party undermining the ceasefire agreement, is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to continue,” Qassem said.

The Hamas spokesman also criticised Peace Council High Representative Nickolay Mladenov and the US mediator, alleging that they had sought to provide explanations for Israeli actions and had taken Israel’s upcoming elections into consideration when responding to ceasefire incidents.

Qassem argued that such an approach could provide political cover for continued Israeli military action and weaken the ceasefire agreement. The report did not include a response from the Peace Council, Mladenov or the US mediator to his allegations.

He called specifically on Arab and Islamic members of the council to intervene, while asserting that the Palestinian side remained committed to the ceasefire.

The comments came as the Palestinian Ministry of Health said Israel had prevented patients and wounded Palestinians in Gaza from traveling abroad for medical treatment for a second consecutive day because of restrictions associated with Jewish holidays.