The US State Department has issued a statement indicating that it has credible reports suggesting that Hamas is planning an imminent attack on civilians in Gaza. This potential assault is seen as a severe breach of the current ceasefire agreement, which aims to stabilize the region and protect innocent lives. The statement, released on Saturday, emphasized that any planned attack against Palestinians would directly violate the ceasefire terms and undermine the progress achieved through ongoing mediation efforts.
Currently, the first phase of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel is underway. As part of this agreement, all living hostages have been released, and the bodies of deceased individuals are being returned to Israel. In addition, Israel has released 250 Palestinian prisoners from its jails and 1,718 detainees from Gaza. The US has communicated with other guarantors of the Gaza peace agreement, including Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, urging Hamas to adhere to the terms of the ceasefire.
The State Department has made it clear that should Hamas proceed with any attacks, measures will be implemented to protect the people of Gaza and maintain the integrity of the ceasefire. As of now, Hamas has not responded to these warnings. Former President Donald Trump also issued a stern warning to Hamas against the killing of civilians, stating, "If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them." However, he clarified that he would not be deploying US troops to Gaza.
In a troubling development, last week, BBC Verify authenticated graphic videos depicting a public execution carried out by Hamas gunmen in Gaza. The footage showed several armed men lining up eight individuals, whose arms were bound, before executing them in a crowded square. Although the identities of the masked gunmen could not be confirmed, some were noted to be wearing green headbands associated with Hamas.
On Saturday, Israel reported that it had received two more bodies from Gaza, which Hamas claimed were hostages, but these remains have yet to be formally identified. Thus far, the remains of 10 out of 28 deceased hostages have been returned to Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would remain closed until Hamas returns the remaining bodies. This crossing is critical for Palestinians seeking medical assistance and for thousands looking to return home.
In a separate incident on Saturday, 11 members of one Palestinian family were reportedly killed by an Israeli tank shell, as per the Hamas-run civil defense ministry. This incident marks the deadliest single occurrence involving Israeli soldiers in Gaza since the ceasefire commenced. The Israeli military claimed that soldiers fired upon a suspicious vehicle that had crossed the so-called yellow line, which demarcates areas still occupied by Israeli forces in Gaza. However, there are no physical indicators of this line, raising questions about the circumstances of the incident.
The Israeli military initiated a campaign in Gaza following the attack on October 7, 2023, during which Hamas-led gunmen killed approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 hostages. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, at least 68,000 individuals have lost their lives due to Israeli attacks in Gaza since that time, with these figures regarded as reliable by the UN. In September, a UN commission of inquiry accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a claim that Israel has categorically rejected as distorted and false.
