A Hamas Official: The Zionist enemy continues to violate the ceasefire and blackmail our people with aid

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem confirmed that the Zionist enemy continues to violate the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and is using humanitarian aid as a tool of political extortion and starvation against the Palestinian people, in an attempt to force them into submission to its aggressive policies.

Qassem stated in a press release on Monday that the movement has abided by all terms of the agreement—particularly the first phase, which involved handing over all living captives at once. He stressed that Hamas continues to work daily to recover and hand over the bodies of Israeli captives, despite the enormous challenges posed by the widespread destruction in the conflict zones.

He pointed out that the Israeli occupation deliberately targeted captives and nearby residential areas from the beginning of the assault, adding that the absence of heavy equipment to clear the rubble remains a major obstacle to retrieving the bodies—a situation the movement has communicated to mediators.

The Hamas leader emphasized that the movement is intensifying its efforts with mediators and the American side to pressure the occupation to fully comply with the ceasefire and end its policy of extortion. He warned that continued international silence gives Israel space to persist in its crimes against the Palestinian people.

Qassem affirmed that the policy of starvation and manipulation of humanitarian aid remains a central instrument of the occupation to impose its political will. He stressed that the Palestinian people in Gaza will not be broken, and that the resistance will continue to protect them—firm in their right to defend their land and dignity.

He concluded:

“All parties seeking stability in the region must exert real pressure on the enemy to ensure it fulfills its commitments; otherwise, the Palestinian people will continue their steadfastness in the face of aggression. Persistence and resistance remain the sure path to defending the oppressed and safeguarding the land and dignity.”