Hamas claims Gaza ceasefire is on the verge of failure – AFP
A senior Hamas official has issued a warning about the potential collapse of the Gaza ceasefire, alleging that Israel has not met its obligations. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A senior Hamas official cautioned that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza could be on the verge of “collapse,” as reported by Agence France-Presse on Saturday. The militant organization accused Israel of not fulfilling its obligations under the truce that had halted significant hostilities in the Palestinian enclave nearly three weeks ago.
The ceasefire, negotiated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, is designed to unfold in three phases. In the initial stage, Hamas is to release 33 hostages—including children, female soldiers, the wounded, and the sick—in exchange for 1,904 Palestinians imprisoned by Israeli authorities.
On Saturday, Israeli prisons released 183 Palestinian detainees, while Hamas let go of three Israeli captives it had been holding in Gaza. West Jerusalem characterized the emaciated appearance of the three hostages as “shocking.”
Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, expressed that the group does not wish to return to fighting but cautioned that Israel’s actions might threaten the truce. “Returning to war is certainly not our wish nor our decision,” he remarked, adding that Israel’s “procrastination and lack of commitment in implementing the first phase… certainly exposes this agreement to danger and thus it may stop or collapse.”
Naim also called on Arab nations not to recognize Israel, stating, “We call on all Arab countries, both those currently normalising and those considering normalization, to step back from this.”
The United States has long been trying to facilitate Saudi Arabia's normalization of relations with Israel. In his inaugural speech, Trump expressed a desire to see official ties established between the two nations, referencing the Abraham Accords. The US-brokered agreement, announced in 2020 during Trump’s first term, normalized relations between Israel and Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco. These accords aimed to foster “friendly relations among states,” end “radicalization,” and promote a “culture of peace” through “interfaith and intercultural dialogue.”
In a speech at the UN General Assembly in September 2024, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that “a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel seemed closer than ever” prior to the Gaza conflict, which commenced in October 2023, causing Riyadh to pause its efforts.
Earlier this week, during a joint press conference with the Israeli prime minister, US President Donald Trump raised the notion of Washington taking ownership of the enclave and suggested relocating Palestinians outside of Gaza, with funding from neighboring countries. When asked whether Saudi Arabia would seek a Palestinian state in exchange for recognizing Israel, Trump replied: “No, they’re not.”
Riyadh has since reaffirmed its position that it will not pursue relations with Israel without ensuring independence for the Palestinians: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position on the establishment of a Palestinian state is firm and unwavering.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
The ceasefire, negotiated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, is designed to unfold in three phases. In the initial stage, Hamas is to release 33 hostages—including children, female soldiers, the wounded, and the sick—in exchange for 1,904 Palestinians imprisoned by Israeli authorities.
On Saturday, Israeli prisons released 183 Palestinian detainees, while Hamas let go of three Israeli captives it had been holding in Gaza. West Jerusalem characterized the emaciated appearance of the three hostages as “shocking.”
Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, expressed that the group does not wish to return to fighting but cautioned that Israel’s actions might threaten the truce. “Returning to war is certainly not our wish nor our decision,” he remarked, adding that Israel’s “procrastination and lack of commitment in implementing the first phase… certainly exposes this agreement to danger and thus it may stop or collapse.”
Naim also called on Arab nations not to recognize Israel, stating, “We call on all Arab countries, both those currently normalising and those considering normalization, to step back from this.”
The United States has long been trying to facilitate Saudi Arabia's normalization of relations with Israel. In his inaugural speech, Trump expressed a desire to see official ties established between the two nations, referencing the Abraham Accords. The US-brokered agreement, announced in 2020 during Trump’s first term, normalized relations between Israel and Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco. These accords aimed to foster “friendly relations among states,” end “radicalization,” and promote a “culture of peace” through “interfaith and intercultural dialogue.”
In a speech at the UN General Assembly in September 2024, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that “a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel seemed closer than ever” prior to the Gaza conflict, which commenced in October 2023, causing Riyadh to pause its efforts.
Earlier this week, during a joint press conference with the Israeli prime minister, US President Donald Trump raised the notion of Washington taking ownership of the enclave and suggested relocating Palestinians outside of Gaza, with funding from neighboring countries. When asked whether Saudi Arabia would seek a Palestinian state in exchange for recognizing Israel, Trump replied: “No, they’re not.”
Riyadh has since reaffirmed its position that it will not pursue relations with Israel without ensuring independence for the Palestinians: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position on the establishment of a Palestinian state is firm and unwavering.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
