The US has informed fellow mediating countries Qatar, Turkey and Egypt of “credible reports indicating an imminent ceasefire violation by Hamas against the people of Gaza,” according to a rare weekend statement from the State Department.
“This planned attack against Palestinian civilians would constitute a direct and grave violation of the ceasefire agreement and undermine the significant progress achieved through mediation efforts,” the State Department says.
It doesn’t elaborate on the nature of the Hamas attack, but it comes after over a week of reported executions carried out by Hamas members against dozens of members of rival clans along with other Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel.
“The guarantors demand Hamas uphold its obligations under the ceasefire terms,” the State Department statement reads.
It’s unclear how Hamas attacks on fellow Palestinians would violate the ceasefire, given that the agreement is widely understood to be aimed at preventing attacks between Israel and Hamas. The portions of the agreement that have been leaked to the press do not explicitly touch on a potential Hamas crackdown on Gazan civilians,
Nonetheless, the State Department statement warns that, “should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire.”
On Wednesday, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump told reporters that the US and Israel were working to set up safe zones inside IDF-controlled areas of the Gaza Strip to which Palestinians seeking to flee Hamas retribution could flee. Israel has yet to publicly confirm the initiative.
“The United States and the other guarantors remain resolute in our commitment to ensuring the safety of civilians, maintaining calm on the ground, and advancing peace and prosperity for the people of Gaza and the region as a whole,” tonight’s State Department statement adds.
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