Hamas warns Gaza ceasefire deal may collapse due to Israeli violations

TEHRAN (Iran News) Qassem made the remarks on Monday, a day after reports that a Hamas delegation had traveled to Cairo, Egypt, for talks with ceasefire mediators. Egypt, the United States, and Qatar have been mediating between Hamas and Israel, and helped secure the ceasefire that took effect on October 10.

The spokesperson confirmed the delegation’s visit to Cairo, saying they discussed ongoing Israeli violations.

“Israel’s continued violations could undermine the ceasefire agreement, a point the movement made clear to the mediators in the Cairo talks,” he said in a press release carried by The Palestine Chronicle.

Qassem added that the presence of Hamas delegates in Cairo demonstrates the movement’s commitment to the ceasefire and readiness to move into the next, more complex phase of the agreement.

“The second phase of the agreement is complex, and we have fulfilled what was required of us, while Israel continues its violations and breaches,” he noted.

The ceasefire is the first phase of a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to end the war in Gaza and bring “permanent” peace to the territory.

Under the first phase, Hamas was required to release some 50 remaining Israeli captives—dead or alive—in exchange for Israel halting attacks and easing restrictions on aid deliveries into Gaza.

Hamas has so far released all 20 surviving captives and handed over the remains of 25 out of 28 others. It says the retrieval of additional bodies has been delayed due to a lack of equipment to sift through the rubble. Israel, however, says it will not begin negotiations on the second phase until it receives the remaining bodies. The second phase includes, among other measures, the deployment of an international stabilization force in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israel has continued its attacks on Gaza, killing at least 300 Palestinians in shelling and shootings across the territory, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.

Officials in Gaza also say, of the 600 aid trucks agreed to enter the territory each day, fewer than one-third have been allowed through.

Deadly remnants of war

The Gaza officials have also voiced strong criticism over unexploded ordnance and other remnants of war, which they say continue to take a heavy toll on the population.

According to the Gaza Civil Defense Team, one child was killed and several others wounded in Gaza City on Monday due to explosions caused by such remnants.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem called on relevant international institutions to cooperate in immediately clearing the war remnants.