GAZA, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Hamas on Saturday rejected Israeli army's claims that the group planned to kidnap Israeli soldiers and accused Israel of trying to justify its continued violations of the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a press statement that the Israeli army's Gaza Division commander's claims about Hamas planning to kidnap Israeli soldiers were "false and baseless allegations, and an attempt by the occupation to justify its violations of the ceasefire agreement."
Qassem added that the Gaza Division commander's assertion that withdrawal from the Yellow Line was "not on the table and that he is waiting for an opportunity to resume fighting in Gaza" is a clear violation of the ceasefire and reveals Israel's "persistent intention to sabotage it."
Qassem called on the mediators, guarantor states, and the UN Security Council to take "a clear stance against the occupation's violations and pressure it to implement the commitments stipulated in the agreement."
Israeli Channel 12 quoted the commander of the Israeli army's Gaza Division as saying that Hamas was exploiting the military operation against Iran to strengthen its capabilities and rearm itself.
The commander claimed that Hamas intends to carry out kidnappings of Israeli soldiers, noting that the Israeli army will later return to focusing entirely on the Gaza Strip "to complete the mission."
The ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel went into effect on October 10, 2025. Since then, 713 Palestinians have been killed and 1,943 others wounded by Israeli army fire, bringing the total number of casualties since October 7, 2023, to 72,289 dead and 172,043 wounded, according to figures released by Gaza's health authorities on Thursday. ■
