Last weekend, newly-elected president Trump suggested that Israel should “clean out” Gaza by forcibly resettling Palestinians from there to Egypt and Jordan – a proposal which sparked international and regional outcry and which resulted in outright refusal from Cairo and Amman.
The four freed soldiers wearing Israeli military uniform vests smiled and waved on a stage at Palestine Square in Gaza City as they were transferred to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
He emphasised that “the agreement is progressing despite some violations by the Zionist occupation. However, thanks to the determination of the resistance, the will of our people, and the leverage the resistance possesses, we are moving in the right direction.”
In a brief statement yesterday, Qassem said that the steadfast resilience of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the bravery of the resistance thwarted the latest attempt by the Zionist project to displace Palestinians from their homeland.
The cease-fire was originally scheduled to start at 8.30 a.m. local time (0630GMT), but it was delayed after Israel accused Hamas of delaying the release of a list of Israeli captives set to be released on Sunday.
In a news briefing in Jerusalem, Sa’ar claimed that Hamas’ rule in Gaza poses a significant threat to both Israel’s security and the Palestinian people.
In a statement following the Israeli government’s approval of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, Hamas said: “The occupation failed to achieve its aggressive goals and succeeded only in committing war crimes that shame humanity.”
Earlier in the day, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, the Israeli cabinet will not meet until mediators confirm that Hamas has agreed to all elements of the deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conveyed his congratulations to the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas for their victory against the Israeli regime in Gaza during a telephone conversation with Khalil al-Hayya, the deputy head of the movement’s Political Bureau.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian resistance group, Jihad Taha, told the London-based pan-Arab news outlet, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed TV, that mediators finalized a draft outlining the terms for a cease-fire and a prisoner exchange.
The movement stressed that Barghouti’s positions serve national unity and support the resistance, including his rejection of the persecution of resistance fighters in Jenin, as well as his standing with free voices in international and media forums.
In a statement, the Al-Qassam Brigades said its fighters targeted a Merkava tank with an explosive device in Al-Saftawi area, west of Jabalia refugee camp. In a second statement, it added that its fighters targeted four more tanks with explosive devices in eastern Jabalia town.
At a press conference on Friday evening, Basem Naim, a senior political leader in Hamas, reiterated the group’s “seriousness and positivity and its endeavor to reach (a ceasefire) agreement as soon as possible.”
In a statement issued on Saturday, Hamas decried the Israeli air strike on Al-Wafa Hospital and the artillery shelling of the Baptist Hospital in central Gaza City as a “war crime” and violations of international laws.
The plea comes amid the systematic targeting of medical infrastructure by Israeli forces, with the recent destruction of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza cited as the latest example.