”We urge Hamas in the strongest possible terms to cease the violence and gunfire against innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza – in both Hamas-controlled areas of Gaza and those secured by the Israeli military behind the yellow line”, says Brad Cooper, officer at the US military command in the region, Centcom, in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement comes at a time when masked Hamas members are seen on the streets of Gaza again. According to Israeli media, the extremist movement has announced that ”security forces” have been deployed around the Gaza Strip.
Earlier in the week, US President Donald Trump said that Hamas had received temporary approval to arm itself in order to make Gaza ”safe”.
Hamas is currently in conflict with several militia groups in Gaza, several of which are allied with Israel. These include, among others, the alleged IS-linked al-Quwwat ash-Shabiyya, as well as a number of newly formed, heavily armed groups.
