Hamas reaffirms commitment to ceasefire, calls for machinery to enter Gaza

Hamas on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire as it called on Israel to allow heavy machinery into Gaza to begin removing rubble.

The group said that the enclave's vast destruction is preventing the return of captives' bodies. 

“One of the main obstacles we face in delivering the remains is the absence of heavy machinery needed to remove the rubble. We have made this clear to the mediators,” Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a statement on Hamas's Telegram channel.

“All parties that want calm in the region must pressure the [Israeli] occupation to ensure it fulfills its commitments," the statement said, adding that Israel “has not abandoned its policy of starvation against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip”.