Islamic Jihad warns Israel of any attempts to violate Gaza truce

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement has warned Israel against any attempts to violate the terms of the four-day truce that has taken effect in the Gaza Strip after seven weeks of unrelenting bombardment.

The Gaza-based group, in a statement released on Saturday night, said it will closely and strictly monitor the behavior of Israeli officials and military forces as the temporary pause in fighting holds, and will not hesitate to take appropriate actions to prevent any trickery.

“The resistance front will not allow the Zionist enemy to renege on what has already been agreed upon regarding the exchange of prisoners, or any attempt to escape its implementation.

“The status quo is under the control of resistance groups. They are directing this battle both in military and political arenas through confidence and sensibility,” the statement read.

Israel began a bombardment campaign Gaza Strip after Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm inside the occupied territories on October 7. The regime has killed at least 14,854 people, including more than 6,150 children and 4,000 women, in Gaza.

Israel also laid total siege to the Gaza Strip and cut off food, water and electricity supplies to the impoverished enclave.

In a statement on Wednesday, Hamas announced a four-day truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip to cease hostilities in Gaza.

Hamas said the deal, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, will allow the entry of hundreds of trucks with humanitarian aid, medicine and fuel to Gaza.

After seven weeks of massacre, the truce took effect at 7:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) on Friday following a night of intense Israeli bombardment.

The deal also stipulated the release of 50 Israelis held in Gaza in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

So far, Hamas has released 26 Israeli captives and 14 Thai and Filipino nationals in exchange for Israel freeing 78 Palestinian prisoners as part of an ongoing swap during the four-day ceasefire.

Egyptian officials are currently holding intensive talks with the Palestinian and Israeli sides to “secure the release of a larger number” of captives in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners, the head of the State Information Service Diaa Rashwan said.