Hamas urges cease-fire mediators to halt Israeli ‘massacres’ in Gaza

By Mohamed Majed

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Hamas on Friday urged the mediators of the Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement, which will go into effect on Sunday, to put pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the "massacres" in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian resistance group issued a statement condemning Israel's actions, stating: "In light of the horrific massacres being committed by the criminal enemy in Gaza and their deliberate intensification after the announcement of the cease-fire, Israel's actions confirm its terrorist and fascist approach, continuously seeking to spill blood."

"The occupation (Israeli forces) deliberately commits these massacres in its attempt to sabotage the cease-fire agreement, putting the mediators under pressure to hold war criminal Netanyahu and his extremist fascist government accountable,” it added.

The movement also called on the international community and the UN to take urgent action to stop the "Zionist terrorism," urging international human rights organizations to document the “massacres in preparation for holding Israeli leaders accountable in international courts.”

Since the announcement of the cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, Israel has killed 101 Palestinians as of Friday morning, according to Gaza's Civil Defense.

Qatar announced a three-phase cease-fire agreement on Wednesday to end over 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip with the cease-fire set to take effect on Sunday.

Nearly 46,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed and more than 110,000 injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi