Hamas on Monday called on international actors to pressure Israel to respect its Gaza ceasefire obligations, while reporting ongoing efforts to return the remains of Israeli hostages despite significant challenges from the destruction caused by the conflict.
Hamas "abides by all details of the ceasefire in Gaza, especially in the first phase by handing over all living captives at once," Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a press statement published on the group's Telegram channel.
"We are working daily to complete the handover of all the remains of the Israeli captives," Qassem said, noting that the process faces "major challenges because of the extensive destruction" in Gaza.
Hamas already released 20 living Israeli hostages and handed over the remains of 13 more captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under the ceasefire agreement which took effect on Oct. 10, based on a phased plan presented by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Qassem accused Israel of deliberately bombing areas where hostages were kept during the war.
"One of the main obstacles we face in delivering the remains is the absence of heavy machinery needed to remove the rubble," he added. "We have made this clear to the mediators."
Qassem said Hamas is in constant contact with mediators, including the U.S., about Israel's repeated ceasefire violations.
"All parties that want calm in the region must pressure the (Israeli) occupation to ensure it fulfills its (ceasefire) commitments," he said, accusing Israel of "using the aid file to exert political blackmail and threaten Palestinians with starvation once again."
He added that Israel "has not abandoned its policy of starvation against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip."
The Gaza government's media office reported 80 Israeli ceasefire violations since the agreement came into effect on Oct. 10, resulting in 97 Palestinians killed and 230 others injured.
Since October 2023, Israel's genocidal war has killed more than 68,200 people and injured more than 170,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
