Hamas official: Israel continues its policy of collective punishment against Palestinian people

A Hamas official has said that the Israeli regime’s decision to cut off electricity to Gaza is a continuation of its policy of collective punishment against the Palestinian people in the strip.

Izzat al-Rishq, member of the political bureau of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas,  said on Sunday that the “policy began on the first day of its aggression against Gaza on October 7, 2023, when it completely cut off electricity, having already deprived the population of food, medicine, and water in a desperate attempt to pressure our people and resistance through unacceptable and cheap blackmail.”

“The occupation’s insistence on cutting electricity, closing crossings, halting aid, relief, and fuel, and starving our people is a blatant continuation of collective punishment and constitutes a full-fledged war crime,” he stated.

Al-Rishq said that Israel’s “actions represent a flagrant violation of signed agreements and a breach of all human laws and norms, reaffirming that the occupation does not respect its commitments.”

He added that Israeli prime minister Benjamin “Netanyahu seeks to obstruct the agreement witnessed by the world, attempting to impose a new roadmap that serves his personal interests at the expense of the lives of the occupation’s captives, without regard for the demands of their families.”

“We warn the occupation against continuing these crimes and affirm that the Palestinian people and their resistance will not succumb to this pressure. They will persist in their steadfastness until freedom and victory are achieved,” he noted.

“The only way forward is to adhere to the implementation of the agreement’s terms and to proceed with the second phase of negotiations. Any attempt at stalling is a waste of time and a manipulation of the fate of the captives,” he said.

The Israeli regime has killed at least 8 Palestinians in the territory in the past three days.

Israel has refused to halt deadly strikes on Gaza since its truce with Hamas resistance movement took effect on January 19.

The incessant attacks have raised the total fatalities in the regime’s genocide since October 2023 to over 48,450.

The true death toll is likely much higher, with at least 10,000 Palestinians estimated to have been killed and buried under rubble.

Israel repeatedly breaches terms of Gaza truce, causing significant humanitarian crises

Reports indicate that Israel has repeatedly breached the terms of its ceasefire with Hamas, leading to significant humanitarian crises and escalating tensions in the region.

The humanitarian situation is also deteriorating eight days after Israel blocked aid deliveries into the Strip again. As a result, at least six bakeries have closed in Khan Yunis and officials are warning that all bakeries may close in two weeks due to lack of fuel.

For the two million people trapped in the Palestinian territory, the blockade is a matter of life and death. The global call for aid delivery to Gazans is also growing louder.

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