The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas called on mediators and the U.S. administration to assume their responsibilities regarding the brutal crimes committed by the Israeli occupation, condemn them, and intervene immediately to compel the occupation to stop targeting innocent children and unarmed civilians. This came after the massacre committed in the Sabra neighborhood in central Gaza City on Thursday evening, which resulted in dozens of deaths, injuries, and missing persons, most of whom remain under the rubble.

Hamas stated in its statement that the occupation state, by committing the “brutal massacre,” aims to obstruct efforts to implement the ceasefire agreement. Hamas added that “the heinous massacre carried out by the fascist occupation aircraft targeting the Ghabboun family house west of Gaza City resulted in the martyrdom and injury of more than 70 innocent unarmed civilians.”

It also confirmed that this crime aims, through the war criminal Netanyahu’s government, to confuse matters, disrupt mediators’ efforts, and hinder the implementation of the ceasefire and aggression halt on Gaza. Hamas emphasized that the systematic massacres and crimes committed by the occupation against unarmed civilians, including women, children, and elderly, “reflect the true face of this hateful entity thirsty for blood and reveal its fascist government’s determination to continue extermination until the last moment.”

Earlier on Thursday, the Palestinian Civil Defense and medical sources reported that four Palestinians were martyred and 40 went missing in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Ghabboun family house on Al-Thalathini Street in the Sabra neighborhood south of Gaza City. The Civil Defense indicated that its crews are still working at the attack site under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted an Israeli military source saying that the attack carried out by the occupation army on the house in Sabra neighborhood was approved by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. The Israeli military source claimed that the targeted building witnessed what it described as hostile activities against Israeli army forces.

On Thursday evening, the Israeli Security Cabinet (the “kabinett”) meeting had not yet voted on the agreement, while the expanded government session was postponed, according to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. The newspaper reported that if the agreement is ratified in the expanded government meeting, it will come into effect within 24 hours of approval.

The occupation state estimates the presence of 48 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, 20 of whom are alive, while more than 11,100 Palestinians are held in its prisons suffering from torture, starvation, and medical neglect, with many killed according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.

With U.S. support, the occupation state has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 8, 2023, resulting in 67,194 martyrs and 169,890 injured, most of them children and women, and famine has claimed the lives of 460 Palestinians, including 154 children.