Hamas claims to mediators that it hasn’t violated the ceasefire while Israel has repeatedly — source

Hamas has informed Middle Eastern mediators in the last several hours that it remains committed to the ceasefire with Israel in Gaza, echoing a statement it has since issued publicly, a source familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel.

In its message to Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators, Hamas insisted that it is committed to returning the remaining hostages’ bodies as quickly as possible. Israel has pushed back on this claim, pointing to footage showing operatives in the group staging the recovery of a hostage’s remains that already appeared to have been in Hamas’s possession.

The Hamas message to the Mideast mediators, also shared with the US, claims the group has not committed any ceasefire violations since it went into place on October 10, while accusing Israel of repeated breaches — including the killing of about 100 Gazans, crossing the Yellow Line dividing the IDF-controlled half of the Strip from the Hamas-controlled side to the west, and keeping the Rafah Crossing closed, the source familiar with the matter said.

Israel asserts its troops have only responded to imminent threats posed by Palestinian operatives and insists that Hamas is the one violating the ceasefire by not returning the remaining bodies.