Hamas has rejected Israel’s proposal to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire, labeling it “unacceptable.”
“The extension of the first phase as proposed by the occupation is unacceptable to us,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement on Saturday. “The mediators and guarantor countries are required to oblige the occupation to abide by the agreement in its various stages.”
Qassem accused Israel of attempting to “shuffle the cards” by proposing the extension, stating that it aims to recover Israeli hostages while potentially resuming aggression on the Gaza Strip, which he says contradicts the existing agreement.
“The occupation is trying to bring things back to zero point,” Qassem noted, emphasizing that there are still no negotiations regarding the second phase of the agreement. He accused Israel of “evading the commitment to end the war and withdraw completely from Gaza.”
On Friday, an informed Egyptian security source told media outlet Xinhua that an Israeli delegation proposed in Cairo to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement for an additional four days.
Earlier on Saturday, the initial four-day phase of the three-stage agreement between Hamas and Israel expired without any announced breakthroughs for its next phase.
