Israel Continues to Resist Moving to the Second Phase of the Gaza Agreement Despite American Pressures

Sources in Israeli media reported the continued resistance of Benjamin Netanyahu's government to move to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza despite American pressures, while the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) affirmed its commitment to the agreement.

An Israeli security source told the official broadcasting authority that implementing the second phase "remains out of reach." It indicated that no country has agreed so far to join the international stabilization force that is supposed to be deployed in Gaza according to the agreement.

The same source added that Israel continues to monitor developments related to the search for the body of the prisoner Ran Guili, who is the last body that Israel demands to recover from Gaza.

In the context, the Walla website reported that Israel continues to resist American pressures to quickly advance to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, until the recovery of Guili's body.

For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in statements made on Sunday, said that the end of the first phase of the agreement is approaching, but he added "We are the ones who decide the measures, and we are the ones who decide the responses."

He added that Israel is working to recover the body of Ran Guili, and is making great efforts in this regard, according to him.

The occupation army continued its violations of the ceasefire on Sunday, as a correspondent reported that Israeli bombing targeted a residential building in the center of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza Strip.

The occupation army announced that it killed a Palestinian who crossed the yellow line in the north of the Strip and "posed an imminent threat" to its forces, according to it.

For its part, Hamas condemned the Israeli violations of the war ceasefire agreement, and called on the mediators and guarantor countries to intervene to stop Israel's attempts to undermine and fail the agreement.

Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas in Gaza, affirmed in a videotaped speech on the 38th anniversary of the movement's launch, Hamas's commitment to the ceasefire agreement.

He said that starting the second phase of the agreement is a priority for the movement, in order to achieve a complete withdrawal of the occupation, and that the task of the international forces in Gaza should be limited to maintaining the ceasefire and separating the two sides on the borders of the Strip.

Al-Hayya emphasized that the resistance and its weapons are a legitimate right guaranteed by international laws and linked to the establishment of the Palestinian state.

On the other hand, the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, mourned the commander of the military manufacturing corps, Raed Saad, who was martyred following an assassination operation carried out by the Israeli occupation in Gaza Strip on Saturday, and announced the appointment of a new commander to replace him.

The Qassam added that the assassination of Saad is a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement, and that the Israeli occupation has crossed all red lines by assassinating Qassam leaders and the sons of the people and its continuous aggression.

It indicated that Israel is disregarding the plan of the American President Donald Trump, who and the mediators bear the responsibility, according to the Qassam.

The Qassam affirmed its right to respond to the occupation's aggression and defend itself by all means. It also announced the appointment of a new commander to carry out the tasks that Saad was handling.

The implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza began on October 10 last year, after two years of the Israeli genocide war that left more than 70,000 martyrs and destroyed most of the civilian infrastructure in the Palestinian sector.

However, Israel continues to violate the agreement with its repeated raids on the sector and by changing the agreed points for the withdrawal line known as the yellow line, and continues to restrict the access of vital humanitarian aid to Gaza residents.