The Israeli army and the Islamist group Hamas accused each other this Tuesday of violating the truce in force in the Gaza Strip, following an incident in the north of the enclave in which several Israeli soldiers were injured.
“During the last hour, three explosive devices were detonated alongside Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) troops in two different locations in the northern Gaza Strip, violating the operational pause framework. In one of the locations, “The terrorists also opened fire on the troops, who responded with fire. Several soldiers were slightly injured in the incidents,” the Israeli military spokesman said.
For their part, the Al-Qasam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, denounced “a clear violation of the truce” by Israel during an episode of “friction on the ground,” although they clarified that they are “committed to the truce while the enemy continues fighting.”
“We ask the mediators to put pressure on the occupiers [Israel] “Respect all the terms of the truce, both on the ground and in the air,” said brigade spokesman Abu Obeida, who acknowledged, however, that the group’s combatants “responded today to the violation” of the agreement by Israeli troops.
These episodes occur on the fifth day of a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, after more than a month and a half of fighting.
The agreement – brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States and which includes the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza – came into force on Friday morning and was expected to last four days.
On Monday, just before it was set to expire, Qatar announced a two-day extension, during which all three elements of the pact will remain in place.
This Tuesday, the release of captive hostages in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails is expected to continue, something that has already occurred during the last four days, in which 69 Israeli and foreign hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners were released.
Source: TSF
