Hamas delivered a sharp message to American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, telling them the cease-fire in Gaza is now “over” and that its fighters are “ready to fight,” according to Al Arabiya, as cited by the Jerusalem Post. The declaration marked a sudden shift by the terror group and signaled a return to hostilities.
The warning surfaced just hours after an Israeli strike in Gaza killed Alaa Hadidi, Hamas’ senior figure responsible for the group’s weapons pipeline. Hamas denounced the operation, claiming it violated the US-supported cease-fire arrangement.
Israel defended the action, saying its forces were responding to an attack that had already breached the terms of the truce. According to the IDF, a Hamas terrorist crossed into the designated humanitarian zone and opened fire at Israeli troops, prompting the retaliatory strike.
Footage released on X showed the armed assailant wearing black clothing and driving across the military withdrawal line while “exploiting” the humanitarian corridor, Israeli officials said. The video depicted the gunman exiting the vehicle and firing a long-range weapon before being shot by Israeli soldiers and collapsing moments later.
By day’s end, the IDF reported that five Hamas members were eliminated in three separate strikes targeting operatives in Rafah and Northern Gaza. Among those killed was Abu Abdullah Al-Hudaydi, identified by Al Arabiya as the operations staff commander of Hamas’ military wing.
American officials indicated to the Times of Israel that the White House supported Israel’s latest actions, citing assessments that Hamas leadership cannot control its fighters within Gaza despite the cease-fire framework.
Amid the escalating tension, Hamas issued another warning, insisting Gaza “will not become another Lebanon,” a reference to what the group views as a long-running cease-fire that leaves one side constrained while the other acts freely.
{Matzav.com}
Hamas’ continued existence, in it of itself, is already a violation of the ceasefire. They are supposed to give up their arms and (not) go back to their caves…