 "Relatives and supporters of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip protest outside the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on Tuesday, after Hamas announced it would delay a planned hostage release after accusing Israel of violating a fragile ceasefire. AP")
As Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Wednesday for Gaza truce talks, the Palestinian group said it will not accept threats from the US and Israel, amid an impasse between the parties over the implementation of the ceasefire deal.
The group demanded that Israel “adhere to the agreed humanitarian protocol”.
“The Israeli occupation is evading the implementation of several provisions of the ceasefire agreement,” AFP quoted Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem as saying in a statement.
“Our position is clear, and we will not accept the language of American and Israeli threats. Israel must commit to implementing the terms of the ceasefire agreement for the release of the hostages,” Qassem added.
The spokesman added that talks with mediators were ongoing to ensure the agreement’s implementation.
“We have received assurances from mediators that efforts are being made to compel the occupation to uphold the ceasefire terms in Gaza,” said Qassem.
A Palestinian source familiar with the issue earlier told AFP that mediators Egypt and Qatar were “working intensively” to resolve the crisis surround the ceasefire deal.
The truce which came into effect last month largely halted more than 15 months of war, but has come under increasing strain in recent days, prompting a new push by mediators Qatar and Egypt to salvage it.
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More Shorts“A delegation headed by Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, arrived in Cairo and began meetings with Egyptian officials,” the Palestinian group said earlier in a statement.
It added that the delegation, led by Hamas’s chief negotiator, was monitoring “the implementation of the ceasefire agreement”.
A senior Hamas official said the delegation “will discuss ways to end the current crisis and ensure the (Israeli) occupation’s commitment to implementing the agreement”.
On Tuesday, Israel warned that it could resume hostilities if hostages are not released by Saturday, echoing a statement from US President Donald Trump, who said “hell” would break loose if Hamas did not release “all” Israeli hostages by that deadline.
A sixth hostage-prisoner exchange was set for Saturday under the truce agreement, but earlier this week, Hamas announced a postponement, citing Israel’s failure to allow crucial humanitarian aid into Gaza.
A diplomat familiar with the discussions indicated that mediators are working with both Israel and Hamas to resolve the dispute and ensure the implementation of the long-sought agreement.
“Mediators are engaging with both Israel and Hamas to try to solve the current issues and ensure both parties of the conflict adhere to the ceasefire and hostage release agreement in place,” AFP quoted the diplomat as saying on condition of anonymity.
With inputs from agencies