Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 15, that Israel would resume fighting in the Gaza Strip if Hamas did not respect the ceasefire agreement, according to a statement from his office.
“If Hamas refuses to respect the agreement, Israel, in coordination with the United States, will resume fighting and act for the total defeat of Hamas,” the statement said.
Israel Katz reacted to the announcement by the Palestinian Islamist group that it had previously claimed that it had handed over all the remains of hostages held in Gaza that it had been able to access, which the Israeli Minister said constitutes a violation of the agreement which stipulates, he writes, that “Hamas must return all deceased hostages in its possession.”
A video showing “summary executions”
The same day, a senior US Middle East official (Centcom) called on Hamas “to stop shooting Palestinian civilians” after the Palestinian Islamist movement released a video showing “summary executions” of alleged “collaborators.”
“We urge Hamas to stop shooting innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza,” Brad Cooper, head of the US Military Command in the Middle East, said in X.
“This is a historic opportunity for peace. Hamas must seize this opportunity by withdrawing, strictly adhering to President Trump’s 20-point peace plan and disarming without delay,” he added.
“We raised our concerns with the mediators who agreed to work with us to defend peace and protect innocent civilians in Gaza,” he continued.
Since the ceasefire came into force on Friday after two years of war with Israel triggered by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, journalists have seen members of the security forces of the Palestinian Islamist movement deployed in several towns in the Gaza Strip, in markets or on roads.
Source: BFM TV
