Hamas stresses need to open Rafah crossing in both directions, ensure flow of aid to ensure success of ceasefire agreement

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem stated that opening the Rafah crossing in both directions and ensuring the flow of sufficient aid into the Gaza Strip, along with halting Israeli violations, is crucial for the success of the ceasefire agreement.

In a press statement to the Palestinian news agency Shehab on Tuesday, Qassem added that the discovery of the body of the last Israeli prisoner in Gaza confirms the movement’s full commitment to the ceasefire agreement. He noted that Hamas provided the mediators and guarantor states with all the necessary information to locate the body.

He called on the mediators to pressure Israel to stop its violations in the Gaza Strip, asserting that Israel is attempting to reshape the ceasefire agreement to suit its own interests and is creating obstacles to prevent its implementation. This, he said, is hindering the transition to the second phase of the Gaza agreement and the commencement of reconstruction and a large-scale relief effort in the Strip.

Qassem affirmed that Hamas had fully implemented all its obligations under the first phase of the agreement, as attested to by the mediators and guarantor states. He emphasized the movement’s readiness to provide all necessary support to the Independent Committee for the Administration of the Gaza Strip, enabling it to begin relief and reconstruction efforts.

He clarified that the United States is required to exert pressure on Israel to ensure the agreement’s implementation and protect the lives of Gaza’s residents, stressing that the entry of mobile homes and medical supplies is an essential component of the humanitarian operation.