DaysofPal- Senior Hamas official Basem Naim has denied reports of a new ceasefire agreement, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to undermine the existing three-stage deal, which took effect on January 19, 2025.
Speaking to the press on Sunday, Naim emphasized that the only legitimate agreement remains the original three-phase ceasefire, brokered with the support of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.
He criticized Netanyahu’s US-backed efforts, calling them a “blatant coup against the ceasefire agreement” and holding both the Israeli government and the US administration accountable for any potential escalation or loss of life.
“They are tampering with an agreement that was expected to bring some stability and security to everyone and pave the way forward,” Naim stated.
He urged the international community to intervene and pressure Israel to honor the signed agreement, warning that failure to do so could lead to further regional escalation.
On Saturday night, Netanyahu’s office announced its approval of a US-proposed temporary ceasefire to coincide with the holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover (April 12-20). The proposal also included the release of half of the Israeli captives held in Gaza. However, Hamas dismissed the plan, viewing it as an attempt to derail the original agreement.
According to Israel’s interpretation of the proposal by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, half of the remaining Israeli captives, both living and deceased, would be released at the start of the extended ceasefire, with the rest to be freed at the end of the period if a permanent ceasefire is agreed upon.
Following Hamas’s rejection of the proposal, the Israeli government, backed by US support, ordered the closure of all aid corridors into Gaza on Sunday.
Humanitarian organizations, meanwhile, have repeatedly stressed the necessity of maintaining the ceasefire to ensure the delivery of critical aid to Palestinians in the war-ravaged coastal enclave. The 17-month conflict has left Gaza devastated, making humanitarian access more urgent than ever.
“The impact of safe and sustained humanitarian access is evident,” the World Food Programme stated in a post on X on Saturday. “The ceasefire must hold. There can be no going back.”
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