Hamas accused Netanyahu of deliberately sabotaging ceasefire negotiations after an Israeli strike on a Gaza City café killed six Palestinians.
Key Takeaways
- Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deliberately seeking to sabotage ceasefire negotiations and the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement.
- The statement followed an Israeli drone strike on a crowded Gaza City café that killed six Palestinians, including a child, and wounded 14.
- Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire and said Palestinian factions remained serious about advancing the agreement.
Hamas Accuses Netanyahu of Deliberate Sabotage
Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday of deliberately undermining efforts to consolidate the Gaza ceasefire, following an Israeli attack that killed six Palestinians at a café in Gaza City.
The movement described the attack as a “new massacre” and “a deliberate escalation,” arguing that its timing demonstrated Netanyahu’s intention to obstruct ongoing negotiations.
“The timing of the crime, following recent talks in Cairo and ongoing mediation efforts, demonstrated beyond any doubt Netanyahu’s intention to sabotage negotiations,” Hamas said.
The movement accused the Israeli prime minister of seeking to derail regional and international efforts to advance US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan and implement the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement.
Gaza Port Massacre: Israeli Strike Kills Six Palestinians, Wounds 14
Six Killed in Gaza City Café Strike
Hamas issued the statement after an Israeli drone targeted a crowded café at the fishermen’s port west of Gaza City on Tuesday.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, medical sources and witnesses, six Palestinians were killed, including a child, while 14 others were wounded.
The attack drew condemnation from Palestinian factions, which described it as another violation of the ceasefire and part of Israel’s continued targeting of civilians in Gaza.
Hamas said the strike demonstrated Israel’s efforts to undermine mediation at a particularly sensitive stage of negotiations.
Hamas Reaffirms Commitment to Agreement
Despite the latest Israeli attack, Hamas said it and other Palestinian factions remained “serious and responsible” in their efforts to ensure the success of the ceasefire agreement.
The movement pointed to its recent meetings with US envoy Jared Kushner and regional mediators as evidence of its continued engagement with efforts to advance implementation of the deal.
Hamas called on the US administration, mediators and guarantor states “to pressure the Israeli government to honor the agreement, halt its crimes, and prevent Netanyahu from obstructing the Sharm el-Sheikh deal.”
The ceasefire originally took effect on October 10, 2025, but disagreements over its subsequent implementation have persisted alongside continued Israeli military attacks.
Disarmament, Withdrawal Remain Key Dispute
A central point of contention remains the relationship between the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu has demanded that Hamas be completely disarmed before Israel begins withdrawing its forces.
Hamas has said it is prepared to relinquish its weapons only as part of a process accompanied by a gradual and orderly Israeli withdrawal.
The US-led Board of Peace issued a 15-point roadmap on July 31 calling instead for Hamas’ disarmament and Israeli withdrawal to proceed gradually and in parallel.
Netanyahu subsequently rejected that framework, maintaining his demand for disarmament first.
Trump Tells Israel to Halt Gaza Strikes as Kushner Meets Netanyahu
More than 1,200 Killed since Ceasefire
Mediators have continued efforts to advance the agreement amid repeated Israeli violations and attacks across the Gaza Strip.
According to the latest figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry, 1,266 Palestinians have been killed and approximately 4,200 wounded since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025.
The deaths have added to the toll of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 174,000 since October 2023, most of them women and children.
Hamas maintained that the latest attack should increase pressure on Israel rather than derail negotiations, calling on Washington and the mediators to prevent Netanyahu from obstructing implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
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The best thing that could happen is, Trump kills Netanyahu, then ” Israel ” kills Trump.
WASrael 2026!
I think King Theoden in The Lord of the Rings, chapter The Voice of Saruman, explains the Gazans’ position very well: “You hold out your hand to me, and I perceive only a finger of the claw of Mordor. Cruel and cold! Even if your war on me was just – as it was not, for were you ten times as wise you would have no right to rule me and mine for your own profit as you desired – even so, what will you say of your torches in Westfold and the children that lie dead there?”