Hamas condemns Israeli airstrikes on Islamic University in Gaza, calls for mediators to intervene

Hamas on Sunday condemned Israeli airstrikes on the campus of the Islamic University in Gaza City, describing the attack as a war crime and urging mediators and guarantor states of the ceasefire agreement to intervene immediately.

In a statement, the movement said the strikes occurred while students were present on campus, killing three university staff members and injuring several others.

Hamas described the attack as a “clear-cut war crime” and accused Israel of continuing its military operations against civilian institutions despite the ceasefire agreement.

The movement said the bombing was part of what it described as an ongoing campaign of destruction and attacks against Palestinians in Gaza.

Hamas also accused the Israeli government of repeatedly violating the ceasefire through continued airstrikes, killings and military raids targeting residential neighbourhoods, displacement camps and civilian facilities.

The movement further said that Israeli forces were expanding the territory under their control by shifting the ceasefire’s designated “yellow line” westward.

It also accused Israel of obstructing the entry of essential food supplies into Gaza, arguing that the restrictions violated its obligations under the ceasefire agreement and undermined the efforts of mediators and guarantor countries.

Hamas called on the parties overseeing the agreement to take immediate action to prevent further attacks on civilians and ensure compliance with the ceasefire.

The movement urged mediators to exert pressure on Israel to halt military operations, lift restrictions on humanitarian assistance and provide relief to more than two million Palestinians facing severe humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

The reported casualties and circumstances of the university strike were presented in Hamas’s statement and were not independently verified in the report.