Hamas Denies US Allegations of Planned Ceasefire Violations in Gaza

Hamas has categorically rejected claims from the United States State Department that the Palestinian group is planning to violate the ceasefire agreement with Israel. In a statement released Sunday, Hamas described the US allegations as false and claimed they “fully align with the misleading Israeli propaganda and provide cover for the continuation of the occupation’s crimes and organised aggression against our people.”

The dispute follows a statement issued late Saturday by the US State Department, which claimed it had obtained “credible reports indicating an imminent ceasefire violation by Hamas against the people of Gaza.” The State Department warned that “should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire,” though no specific details about the alleged planned attack were provided.

In response, Hamas called on the United States to “stop repeating the [Israeli] occupation’s misleading narrative” and instead focus on addressing what it described as Israel’s “repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement.” The Palestinian group countered the US allegations by claiming that Israeli authorities have been responsible for arming and funding “criminal gangs” engaged in violence against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

“The facts on the ground reveal the exact opposite,” Hamas stated, alleging that occupation authorities have established groups that have carried out “killings, kidnappings, theft of aid trucks, and assaults against Palestinian civilians.” Hamas further claimed these groups have “openly admitted their crimes through media and video clips, confirming the occupation’s involvement in spreading chaos and disrupting security.”

Palestine scholar and Middle East analyst Mouin Rabbani characterized the US State Department warning as “mind-boggling,” suggesting it represents “an attempt to stoke civil conflict within the Gaza Strip… to achieve what so far Israel has failed to achieve.” Rabbani pointed to alleged Israeli efforts to “wreak havoc” in Gaza by collaborating with “armed gangs and collaborator militias” acting as proxies in the enclave.

The week-old ceasefire has been fraught with accusations from both sides regarding violations, threatening the stability of the US-mediated agreement. According to the Gaza Government Media Office, nearly 50 Israeli violations have occurred since the ceasefire began, allegedly resulting in 38 Palestinian deaths and 143 injuries. The office characterized these as “flagrant and clear violations of the ceasefire decision and the rules of international humanitarian law.”

Israeli forces have been accused of directly firing upon and bombing civilians despite the ceasefire declaration. Additionally, Israel faces criticism for blocking efforts to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, a key point in the ceasefire agreement meant to increase humanitarian aid flow into Gaza and allow Palestinians to travel abroad.

American-Israeli analyst Gershon Baskin noted that historically, agreements between Palestinians and Israelis have frequently been “breached” in various ways. He emphasized that successful implementation requires consistent American engagement: “If the Americans are serious that they want this to work, they have to be engaged every single day and several times a day” to ensure agreed-upon measures are implemented on the ground.

As tensions escalate, Rawhi Fattouh, president of the Palestinian National Council, has called for the international community to deploy forces in Gaza to protect Palestinians and ensure proper implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

The continued exchange of accusations between Hamas and Israel, with the United States weighing in, highlights the fragility of the peace process in the region and raises concerns about the sustainability of the current ceasefire agreement without more robust international oversight and enforcement mechanisms.