US Warns of Imminent Hamas Attack on Gaza Civilians

The US State Department has reported credible intelligence indicating that Hamas is planning an imminent attack on civilians in Gaza, which would constitute a direct violation of the current ceasefire agreement. The Department emphasized that such an action would undermine the significant progress achieved through recent mediation efforts. Specific details regarding the planned attack were not disclosed.

The ceasefire agreement, currently in its first phase, has seen the release of all living hostages and the ongoing return of deceased individuals to Israel. In exchange, Israel has released 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza. The US has informed other guarantors of the peace agreement, including Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, urging Hamas to adhere to the ceasefire terms. The State Department stated that measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire should Hamas proceed with the attack.

Hamas has not yet responded to the US statement. President Donald Trump previously warned Hamas against harming civilians, stating that continued attacks would leave no choice but to intervene. He later clarified that US troops would not be deployed to Gaza.

Recent reports have highlighted ongoing violence in the region. Last week, authenticated videos showed a public execution carried out by Hamas gunmen in Gaza. Additionally, Israel reported receiving two more bodies from Gaza, believed to be hostages, though formal identification is pending. To date, the remains of 10 out of 28 deceased hostages have been returned to Israel.

In a separate incident, 11 members of a Palestinian family were killed by an Israeli tank shell, marking the deadliest single event involving Israeli soldiers in Gaza since the ceasefire began. The Israeli military stated that soldiers fired at a suspicious vehicle that had crossed a demarcation line, though the exact circumstances remain unclear.

The Israeli military's campaign in Gaza was initiated in response to the October 7, 2023, attack, during which Hamas-led gunmen killed approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 others hostage. Since then, at least 68,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN. In September, a UN commission of inquiry accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a claim that Israel categorically rejected as distorted and false.