GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center)Senior Hamas official Basem Naim has emphasized that no new ceasefire agreement exists, accusing Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to undermine the current three-stage deal, which came into effect on January 19, 2025.
In press remarks on Sunday, Naim affirmed that the only valid agreement is the original three-phase ceasefire deal signed under Egyptian, Qatari, and American sponsorship.
Naim described Netanyahu’s US-backed moves in this regard as a “blatant coup against the ceasefire agreement,” and held the Israeli government and the US administration fully responsible for any escalation and loss of lives on both sides.
“They are tampering with an agreement that was expected to bring some stability and security to everyone and pave the way forward,” the Hamas official said.
He urged the international community to intervene and pressure the Israeli government to abide by the signed agreement in order to spare the region further escalation.
Last night, Netanyahu’s office announced its agreement to a US proposal for a temporary ceasefire during the current holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover (April 12-20). The US plan includes the release of half of Israeli captives held in Gaza. However, the Hamas Movement dismissed the plan, calling it an attempt to sabotage the original agreement.
According to Israel’s account of US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal, half of the remaining Israeli captives — living and dead — would be released on the first day of the extended ceasefire, and the remaining captives would be released at the end of the period if a permanent ceasefire is reached.
Emboldened by the support of the US administration, the Israeli government ordered all aid corridors into Gaza to be closed on Sunday after Hamas rejected Witkoff’s proposal.
