Gaza ceasefire helped stop ‘Genocide’: Hamas Spokesperson

KARACHI: A spokesperson for the Palestinian freedom fighter group Hamas incharge West Asia, Dr. Khalid Qadomi has said the group is satisfied with Pakistan’s position on the conflict in Gaza, praising Islamabad’s role in support of Palestinians.

Speaking to journalists at the Karachi Press Club on Friday, Hamas spokesperson has said a ceasefire had helped to halt “campaign of genocide” in Gaza, but he voiced his concern over the mechanisms established under the truce and described it as remaining unclear.

According to him, bodies such as a proposed Gaza peace board had yet to define how they would operate.

Dr Khalid Qadomi said Israel is repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement, and civilians in Gaza were still being killed on a daily basis.

He demanded that the Islamic countries included in the ‘Gaza Peace Board’ to take notice of the ceasefire violation by Israel.

Citing a recent report by the United Nations (UN), the Hamas spokesperson said it contained “alarming revelations” about the US weapons used in Gaza.

He also discussed a horrible fact and revealed that the US bombs used in Gaza produced heat up to 3500 degrees centigrade, and because of these bombs, the bodies of thousands of Palestinians dissolved in the air.

“Hamas had previously estimated the martyrs’ figure in Gaza over 72,000. After the UN report, it fears that the figure will rise to 0.2 million,” Dr Khalid Qaddomi added.

He also expressed concern over the restriction of humanitarian aid entering Gaza and said that it was far below what was required. He said that under the agreement, 600 aid trucks per day were expected to enter the territory, but that only around 50 were currently being allowed by Israel.

He added that there were acute shortages of milk for children, drinking water, medicines and surgical equipment, and that hospitals required urgent rehabilitation.

The Hamas spokesman further said that due to the cease-fire, the responsibilities have increased on Hamas, but there is no one to stop Netanyahu.

He questioned the effectiveness of international mechanisms aimed at overseeing peace efforts in Gaza, arguing that pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been insufficient to ensure full restoration of humanitarian access.

He said Hamas would welcome a proposed Palestinian technocratic committee intended to oversee reconstruction and prepare for elections in Gaza, but Israel was preventing its entry into the territory.

Despite the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis, he said Palestinians displaced from Gaza were beginning to return, adding that they would not abandon what he described as their homeland.