Al-Qassam says committed to ceasefire, denies ties to Rafah operations
3 Min Read
The Al-Qassam Brigades reaffirm their commitment to the ceasefire in Gaza and deny any role or knowledge of Rafah operations, citing loss of communication.
-
Hamas fighters stand in formation ahead of a ceremony to hand over Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, Gaza Strip, February 22, 2025. (AP)
The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, reaffirmed on Sunday their “full commitment” to implementing the ceasefire agreement across all areas of the Gaza Strip, denying any role or knowledge of recent incidents reported in Rafah.
In an official statement, the group said: “We affirm our complete commitment to implementing everything that has been agreed upon, foremost among them the ceasefire in all areas of the Gaza Strip.”
The Brigades emphasized that it has “no knowledge of any events or clashes taking place in the Rafah area,” explaining that these areas are under full Israeli control. “Rafah and the surrounding zones are red areas that fall under the control of the occupation,” the statement read.
The brigades added that communication with their remaining units in Rafah has been completely severed since the resumption of hostilities in March 2025. “Contact has been cut off with the remaining groups we have there since the resumption of the war in March of this year, and we have no information as to whether they were martyred or are still alive since that time,” the group said.
Al-Qassam stressed that, as a result, it has no connection to any incidents occurring in those areas and cannot communicate with any of its fighters who might still be alive there. “Therefore, we have no relation to any events taking place in those areas, and we cannot communicate with any of our fighters there, if any of them are still alive,” the statement concluded.
Two soldiers killed in Rafah
Israeli media reported Sunday that two soldiers were killed and two others wounded in what the occupation forces described as a “security incident” in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli reports, the casualties resulted from two separate operations, a sniper attack and the detonation of an explosive device, both targeting occupation forces stationed in Rafah.
Following the incident, the Israeli occupation launched a series of attacks on what it claimed were “several targets” in Rafah. Local sources reported artillery and airstrikes across multiple areas in the southern city.
'Israel' violating ceasefire
Government authorities in the Gaza Strip said that Israeli forces have repeatedly breached the newly declared ceasefire, committing 47 documented violations since the agreement was announced earlier this week.
"Since the announcement of the cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation force has committed a series of violations, the number of which to date has reached 47 … Due to the ongoing violations by the Israeli occupation, 38 people have been killed and 143 others have sustained injuries of varying severity," the authorities said in an official statement on Saturday.
The statement explains that Israeli attacks have persisted despite the internationally brokered deal aimed at halting the months-long genocide. The latest figures point to a growing civilian toll, with dozens of Palestinians killed and more than a hundred wounded since the ceasefire took effect.
The agreement, signed on Monday by US President Donald Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was intended to establish a comprehensive cessation of hostilities and pave the way for humanitarian relief operations in the besieged enclave.
