Hamas accuses Israel of delaying Gaza relief, reconstruction efforts

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Palestinian group Hamas has accused Israel of delaying the implementation of relief and reconstruction agreements in Gaza, where Israeli bombing continued for more than 15 months until a ceasefire took hold on Jan. 19.

Israel “continues to stall implementation of the relief and reconstruction process outlined in the ceasefire agreement, and there are humanitarian aid commitments it has not fully adhered to,” spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a statement, without providing further details.

“Despite the massive destruction of the healthcare sector, the occupation has not allowed any restoration efforts or the entry of essential medical supplies,” Qassem added.

“Fuel deliveries remain far below what was stipulated in the agreement, and the amount reaching northern Gaza is negligible,” he said.

The spokesperson said “the heavy machinery specified in the agreement has not been allowed in, preventing the retrieval of martyrs' bodies and hindering the recovery of (hostage) bodies set to be exchanged, especially at the end of this phase.”

Hamas called on mediators, Qatar and Egypt, as well as guarantors of the ceasefire agreement, to "compel the occupation to immediately allow the entry of the relief materials outlined in the agreement, particularly tents, fuel, food supplies, and heavy machinery, while also ensuring an end to all other violations and breaches."

Earlier in the day, Salama Marouf, head of Gaza’s media office, said Gaza is a "humanitarian disaster zone" devoid of "all basic necessities for survival and human dignity."

The media office on Wednesday had urged for pressure on Israel to allow the entry of tents and caravans to shelter more than a quarter of a million displaced families whose homes were destroyed in the genocide.

The ongoing six-week truce is the first part of a three-stage deal that could permanently end Israel’s war in Gaza. The military campaign has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians and left the territory in ruins.