US military says Hamas must 'immediately' halt violence as crackdown targets rivals
The US wants Egyptian and Qatari mediators to rein in Hamas amid skirmishes with rivals and evidence of extrajudicial killings in Gaza.
WASHINGTON — The top US military commander in the Middle East publicly warned Hamas to lay down its arms on Wednesday and stop “shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians” following violent skirmishes with rival factions and alleged collaborators with Israel.
“We strongly urge Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza — both in Hamas-parts of Gaza and those secured by the IDF behind the Yellow Line,” US Navy Adm. Brad Cooper said.
“We have conveyed our concerns to the mediators who agreed to work with us to enforce the peace and protect innocent Gaza civilians,” Cooper’s statement read.
Why it matters: The warning by US Central Command comes as Hamas has exploited the ceasefire to violently settle scores with rival armed groups in an apparent bid to come out on top in post-war Gaza.
