Al-Qassam Brigades accuse Israel of obstructing implementation of ceasefire agreement

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas, stated on Sunday that Israel is obstructing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

After Israeli attempts to evade its obligations, Washington announced in mid-January the start of the second phase of the agreement, which has been in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, under US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan.

In a video statement, Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Ubaida said: "What is required is to put pressure on Israel to fulfill its obligations in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement before discussing the second phase, and to hold the American administration accountable."

"What the enemy (Israel) could not take from us with tanks and annihilation, it will not take from us through politics and negotiations," Abu Ubaida added.

He also warned that "what the enemy is trying to impose on the Palestinian resistance and the people of Gaza is extremely dangerous," without specifying the nature or details of these proposals.

On Friday, Hamas said in a statement that its delegation, headed by its Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya, met with Egyptian officials and representatives of Palestinian factions.

It also held a meeting with Nikolay Mladenov, the UN's special coordinator for the Mideast peace process, in the presence of mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye.

The delegation emphasized the necessity of fully implementing the first phase of the agreement, noting that it had received an invitation to resume talks in Cairo in the coming days.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct. 10, following mediation by Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar.

Since then, Israel has continued violations of the agreement, with Gaza’s Health Ministry reporting 716 Palestinians killed and 1,968 injured since the ceasefire.

The agreement was intended to end a two-year Israeli war that killed more than 72,000 people, wounded over 172,000, and caused widespread destruction to about 90% of civilian infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the UN at around $70 billion.

*Writing by Rasa Evrensel in Istanbul