Amid fears that the Israel-Hamas ceasefire pact may collapse, reports have emerged that the Hamas military intelligence service has warned their leaders to stop using mobile phones and hide.
The warning to the leaders of the organisation's political and military wings comes as Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened on Tuesday that the ceasefire will be over and Israel will resume "intense fighting" in Gaza if Hamas doesn’t release hostages by midday Saturday.
The security measures were supposed to be taken at the end of Phase one of the pact, but Hamas intelligence decided to advance it due to "fear of Israeli treachery," Israeli media quoted Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
Many of the Hamas senior figures had restarted using their phones after the cease-fire began. However, the warning has brought unrest among the leaders and many have begun to implement the new security measures.
The report added that Hamas had recently uncovered spying equipment found embedded in stones or ruins of buildings in Gaza. The equipment included cameras and listening devices that Hamas assessed as intended to identify senior officials or hostages.
The militant group has also initiated sweeps to find such devices. They are also dismantling and examining them to glean information, the sources said.
However, Netanyahu's statement after a four-hour security cabinet meeting has stoked fears that the war could restart. "If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated," he declared.
He also welcomed US President Donald Trump’s demand for the release of our hostages by Saturday noon.
Hamas declared that it is still dedicated to the ceasefire. In a statement released on Tuesday, Hamas said it was committed to the ceasefire agreement, adding that "the occupation is the party that did not abide by its commitments and is responsible for any complications or delays."
