A senior Hamas official on Friday accused the United States of providing political cover for IDF strikes in the Gaza Strip, following airstrikes a day earlier that killed 13 people despite an ongoing ceasefire.
According to Gaza’s Civil Defense, an emergency response organization operating under Hamas authority, 13 Palestinians, including five children, were killed Thursday in Israeli strikes across the territory.
Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, said on Telegram that the strikes were carried out under what he described as “false pretexts” and could not have occurred “without American cover or a green light from Washington.” His remarks did not address Israel’s account of the events.
The military said at least seven Hamas terrorists were killed in the strikes, including several who were preparing what it described as an “imminent” attack on Israeli forces.
Naim accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to evade Israel’s commitments and encouraging escalation in order to undermine the ceasefire agreement. He said Hamas had fulfilled its obligations under the deal and remained ready to proceed to its second phase.
Israel has said it will not move forward with talks on the next phase of the agreement without the disarmament of Hamas and the return of the body of Sergeant first class Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage believed to be held in Gaza.
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A failed rocket launch toward Israel from the Gaza City area
(Photo: IDF)
Hamas officials told AFP on Wednesday that searches for Gvili’s remains had resumed after a two-week pause, which they attributed to poor weather conditions.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 10, remains fragile. Incidents have occurred almost daily, with each side accusing the other of violating its terms, while humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain severe.