Israel and Hamas Accuse One Another of Violating Fragile Ceasefire

Israel and Hamas have accused one another of violating a hard-won temporary ceasefire agreement recently extended to allow for the release of hostages and the flow of aid to the Gaza Strip amid a war now in its 53rd day.

One day after the temporary truce that began last Thursday was extended with additional mediation efforts from Egypt, Qatar and the United States, Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement Tuesday that "as a result of a clear violation by the enemy of the truce agreement in the northern Gaza Strip today, field friction occurred and our mujahideen dealt with this violation."

The group stated that it would continue to adhere to the deal as long as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) did as well.

"We are committed to the truce as long as the enemy has committed to it," the statement, attributed to Al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Obaida, said, "and we call on the mediators to pressure the occupation to adhere to all the terms of the truce on the ground and in the air."

Shortly after, the IDF released its own account, stating that "three explosive devices were detonated adjacent to IDF troops in two different locations in the northern Gaza Strip, violating the framework of the operational pause."

"In one of the locations, terrorists also opened fire at the troops, who responded with fire," the IDF said. "A number of soldiers were lightly injured during the incidents. In both incidents, the troops were located in positions as per the framework of the operational pause."

The IDF had previously accused Palestinian fighters of violating the initial ceasefire agreement via a rocket launch from Gaza about "15 minutes after the ceasefire" first came into effect last week. The Al-Qassam Brigades, which has regularly reported on its operations throughout the conflict, did not issue any news of attacks at that time.

Now, the latest development comes as talks are reportedly underway to further extend the agreement, which is again set to expire after Wednesday.

The ongoing war marks the deadliest-ever flare-up in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israeli officials have estimated that 1,200 people were killed in Israel amid an unprecedented surprise attack conducted October 7 by Hamas and allied Palestinian factions, with dozens more IDF personnel killed in the subsequent Israeli offensive, while Palestinian officials in Hamas-led Gaza have counted more than 14,500 dead since the war began.

Israeli officials have also placed the number of those taken hostage by Hamas and other Palestinian factions at around 242, with the Al-Qassam Brigades estimating the number of those seized as being between 200 and 250, about 200 of which are in the hands of Hamas fighters and the rest among other groups in Gaza.

Qatar and Egypt have since played extensive roles in negotiating their release, an effort backed by the U.S. as well.

While four people, two dual U.S.-Israeli nationals and two Israeli citizens were released in back-to-back deals last month, 69 hostages, including 51 Israelis and 18 foreign nationals, have been set free by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad since the original ceasefire deal reached last week. Israel has released 150 Palestinian prisoners since the truce began.

The vast majority of those released by both sides thus far have been women, children and teenagers.

The Al-Qassam Brigades has also counted more than 60 of its captives killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes. The IDF has rescued one hostage alive and recovered the bodies of two more throughout the course of its operations in Gaza.

A number of countries across the globe, especially in the region, have appealed for a lasting ceasefire to bring a halt to the conflict. The United Nations has echoed these calls as well.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his administration have supported further truce extensions in exchange for the release of more hostages but have warned that the IDF offensive would not end until Hamas was entirely defeated or surrendered. U.S. President Joe Biden has also expressed opposition to a total ceasefire.

A statement issued Tuesday by Netanyahu's office following the premier's visit to the IDF Intelligence Branch Document and Technical Input Collection Unit asserted that, "We are committed to completing these missions: Freeing all of the hostages, eliminating this terrorist organization above and below ground and – of course – that Gaza must not return to being what it was, that it will no longer constitute a threat to the State of Israel."

During a press conference held Tuesday in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, a Hamas spokesperson referred to Netanyahu's determination to continue the war beyond the truce as "an empty threat for internal consumption," declaring that "our people and their resistance will continue on the path of defending themselves, their land, their sanctuary, and their prisoners until this Nazi enemy is defeated and eliminated."

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