The US State Department warned on Saturday that there are “credible reports” that Hamas could break the peace deal with a “planned attack” on Palestinian civilians.
“This planned attack on Palestinian civilians would constitute a direct and serious violation of the ceasefire and undermine the significant progress made through mediation efforts,” the ministry said in a statement on social media. “The guarantors demand that Hamas fulfill its obligations under the terms of the ceasefire.
“The United States and the other guarantors remain resolute in our commitment to ensure the safety of civilians, maintain peace on the ground, and promote peace and prosperity for the people of Gaza and the region as a whole.”
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect last weekend after two years of war in the region following the October 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel.
HAMAS DEFENDS EXECUTIONS OF PALESTINIANS AFTER TRUMP STRESS WARNING TO TERROR GROUP
Members of Hamas search for bodies of hostages in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
On Monday, the twenty remaining surviving Israeli hostages were returned to Israel under the agreement, but more than a dozen remains of slain hostages remain under Hamas control.
The Foreign Ministry added that “measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire” if Hamas continues its attack.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump warned against Truth Social after images circulated online showing Hamas fighters executing Palestinians in Gaza City’s central square.
“If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the agreement, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,” he wrote.
ISRAELI TROOPS ‘OPEN FIRE’ ON SUSPECTS WHO APPROACHED SOLDIERS IN NORTH GAZA
According to Reuters, at least 33 people have been executed by Hamas in recent days in what officials described as a campaign to “show strength” after the ceasefire. Israeli sources say most of the dead belonged to families accused of collaborating with Israel or supporting rival militias.
Trump later made it clear that US troops would not invade Gaza.
In this still from a verified social media video, confirmed to Reuters by a Hamas source, seven men are forced to their knees and shot from behind by Hamas gunmen during public executions in Gaza on October 14. (Reuters)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“It won’t be us,” he told reporters. ‘That’s not necessary. There are people very close, very close who want to go in, and they will do the trick very easily, but under our auspices.”
