Hamas warns Witkoff, threatens 'ceasefire is over' after IDF thwarts Yellow Line breaches - Sam Halpern, Goldie Katz

 

by Sam Halpern, Goldie Katz

"The agreement is over and [Hamas] is ready to fight," sources told Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya, adding that the ceasefire must be mutual and that "Gaza will not become another Lebanon."

 

Hamas terrorists escort Red Cross members towards an area within the Yellow Line to which Israeli troops withdrew under the ceasefire. Gaza City November 20, 2025.

(photo credit: REUTERS/DAWOUD ABU ALKAS)

 

Amid Hamas attempts to breach Gaza's Yellow Line and subsequent IDF activities to thwart the terrorists, Hamas warned US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff that it could end the ceasefire in Gaza, Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya reported on Saturday.

"The agreement is over and [Hamas] is ready to fight," sources told the Saudi outlet, adding that the ceasefire must be mutual and that "Gaza will not become another Lebanon."

An American source told Walla that "Hamas has not given up yet, but has made it clear that it will not be able to accept any more Israeli attacks. Gaza will not be Lebanon for them, and I hope we can contain the situation."

Another source told the Israeli outlet, "The US is aware of the Israeli attacks and certainly understands Israel's need to protect its soldiers in Gaza after they were attacked," adding, "Hamas told us, 'It is better for us to fight and let a thousand be killed by fire under Israeli attacks than by inaction.'"

Shortly thereafter, Hani al-Dali, an analyst for the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese outlet Al Mayadeen, reported that Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya was heading a Hamas delegation that would arrive in Cairo, Egypt, in the coming hours.

Hamas terrorists in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza ahead of the hostage release. January 30, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled)

According to Dali, the delegation aims to coordinate with Arab states to bolster the Palestinian position against Israel. The analyst did not mention whether the delegation would address the reported ending of the ceasefire.

Earlier, Al Arabiya reported that an IDF strike on Saturday killed Abu Abdullah Al-Hudaydi, the Operations Staff Commander of the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, the so-called “military” wing of Hamas, in Gaza. The IDF has not yet confirmed the report.

In a statement, however, the Prime Minister's Office announced that the military had killed five senior Hamas terrorists on Saturday.

"Today, Hamas violated the ceasefire again, sending a terrorist into Israel held territory to attack IDF soldiers. In response, Israel eliminated five senior Hamas terrorists," the PMO stated, without mentioning the names of the terrorists or whether Hudaydi was among them.

Prime Minister's Office:

Today, Hamas violated the ceasefire again, sending a terrorist into Israel held territory to attack IDF soldiers. In response, Israel eliminated five senior Hamas terrorists.

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) November 22, 2025

"Israel has fully honored the ceasefire, Hamas has not," the PMO continued. "Throughout the ceasefire, dozens of Hamas terrorists have crossed the Israeli lines to attack our troops, while they execute Palestinian civilians in Gaza."

The PMO reiterated its call for mediators to demand that Hamas fulfill its side of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire, noting that the terror group must complete the return of the hostages, three of whom remain in Gaza.

It added that Hamas must also finish disarming and allow for Gaza to be demilitarized.

Hamas terrorist breaches Gaza's Yellow Line

Aligning with the PMO's statement on terrorists continuing to cross Israeli lines and attack Israeli forces, the IDF reported on Saturday afternoon that an armed terrorist crossed the Yellow Line and began firing at Israeli soldiers.

According to the military, the incident occured on a road "through which humanitarian aid enters southern Gaza," and the individual was "exploiting" the avenue.

[T]he military fired back, killing the terrorist. No IDF injuries were reported.

A graphic published by the IDF depicting the incident shows an IDF position adjacent to the humanitarian road. The image shows another spot on the road where the terrorists opened fire.

A graphic published by the IDF depicting the incident shows an IDF position adjacent to the humanitarian road. The image shows another spot on the road where the terrorists opened fire.

An IDF graphic showing the position on a road designated for humanitarian use in southern Gaza where a terrorist who crossed Gaza's Yellow Line had fired at IDF troops in the area. Published November 22, 2025. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

In response to the incident, under the guidance of Shin Bet, the IDF reported that it began striking Hamas terror targets in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF emphasized that "troops in the Southern Command remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat."

IDF kills five terrorists in Rafah area, eliminates others in northern Gaza

According to the IDF, the military has thus far killed five terrorists in the Rafah area on Saturday. The IDF believes these five were among those who left an underground tunnel on Friday before trying to hide.

The five were killed in two separate incidents, hours apart from one another.

The IDF later stated that a total of 17 terrorists had left the underground infrastructure on Friday, and that after a 24-hour manhunt, 11 had been killed and the other six were arrested.

Those who were captured have been transferred to the Shin Bet for questioning, the IDF added.

In other incidents in northern Gaza on Saturday, the military killed two out of four terrorists who approached IDF troops after crossing the Yellow Line. The military did not mention what happened to the other two terrorists.

Officials associated with the Hamas-run Health Ministry told Reuters that, so far on Saturday, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 14 people and wounded several others.

The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants when tallying casualties.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Sam Halpern, Goldie Katz

Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-874788

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter