It’s clear that Hamas violated the agreement, says Netanyahu’s adviser — Israel-Hamas war
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip collapsed on Friday, as both sides resumed their deadly attacks after a week of relative calm. The Israeli government blamed Hamas for violating the truce, while the Palestinian militant group accused Israel of trying to impose new conditions.
Mark Regev, senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Sky News that Israel was “prepared to see the continuation of the ceasefire” but Hamas “opened fire” and “started shooting rockets” at around 5.30am. He said that Israel had no choice but to respond to the “unprovoked aggression” and defend its citizens. He also denied that Israel had any intention of changing the terms of the ceasefire agreement, which was brokered by Egypt and Qatar with the help of the US and the UN.
Regev said that Israel’s goal was to “restore peace and security” to the region and to prevent Hamas from rebuilding its military capabilities. He said that Israel had destroyed more than 7,000 targets in Gaza, including rocket launchers, tunnels, command centers, and weapons factories. He claimed that Israel had killed at least 225 militants, including senior commanders, and that Hamas had exaggerated the number of civilian casualties. He also said that Israel had taken “extraordinary measures” to avoid harming innocent people, such as warning them to evacuate before striking.
Regev said that Israel was ready to resume the negotiations in Cairo, but only if Hamas stopped firing rockets and respected the ceasefire. He said that Israel wanted to address the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza, but also to ensure that any aid would not be used by Hamas to rearm itself. He said that Israel was willing to work with the international community and the Palestinian Authority to facilitate the reconstruction of Gaza and the improvement of the living conditions there.
Regev also commented on the situation in Jerusalem, where tensions have been high over the status of the al-Aqsa mosque and the planned evictions of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah. He said that Israel had agreed to “lift their hands off” the holy site and the neighborhood, as part of the ceasefire deal, but that Hamas had exploited the issue to incite violence and hatred. He said that Israel respected the rights of all faiths to worship in Jerusalem, and that it was committed to maintaining the status quo at the al-Aqsa compound. He also said that the evictions were a legal matter that had nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza.
Regev expressed his hope that the ceasefire would be restored and that the dialogue would resume, but he also warned that Israel was prepared to act decisively if Hamas continued to attack. He said that Israel had the right and the duty to defend itself against the “terrorist organization” that sought to destroy it. He said that Israel wanted peace, but that Hamas wanted war. He urged the international community to support Israel’s efforts to end the hostilities and to isolate and pressure Hamas to stop its aggression.
