Hamas on Saturday accused the United States of distorting the truth by saying the Palestinian militant group had chosen war with Israel by refusing to release hostages.
鈥楾he claim that 鈥楬amas chose war instead of releasing the hostages鈥� is a distortion of the facts,鈥� Hamas said in a statement in response to the accusation from US national security council spokesperson Brian Hughes on Tuesday.
He had said: 鈥楬amas could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.鈥�
The Palestinian militant group added that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu 鈥榬ejected these聽 initiatives and deliberately sabotaged them to serve his political interests,鈥� referring to criticism he has faced in Israel, including from families of hostages held in Gaza.
Israel resumed air strikes on Gaza on Tuesday before sending troops back into areas evacuated during the pause in fighting.
Israel says its military campaign is necessary to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages and secure the freedom of about 60 captives, dead or alive.
Many hostage families have instead called for a renewed ceasefire, noting most captives who returned alive did so during truce periods.
In its statement, Hamas accused the United States of equating 鈥榯he aggressor with the victim鈥�.
The mayor of Israel鈥檚 northern border town of Metula criticised the government on the same day after the area was targeted with rocket fire from Lebanon, and called for a return to war.
鈥榃e will not return to the reality of October 6th ... and this is what the IDF, the Northern Command, and the Israeli government are trying to normalise,鈥� Metula mayor David Azoulay told AFP.
Metula, a town of 2,400 residents, was evacuated during more than a year of cross-border exchanges of fire between Israel鈥檚 military and Hezbollah.
Azoulay said that since the November truce, just eight per cent of Metula鈥檚 population had returned, and that some residents left again on Saturday after the rocket fire.
The mayor called on the Israeli authorities to 鈥榓ct offensively and make it so that not one bullet is fired ever again at northern communities鈥�.
鈥楢s far as I鈥檓 concerned, we should return to war, even if one bullet is fired towards Israel,鈥� he said.
Israel鈥檚 military said on Saturday it had struck 鈥榙ozens of Hezbollah rocket launchers鈥� in southern Lebanon.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Israel Katz ordered strikes against 鈥榙ozens of terrorist targets鈥� in Lebanon in response to the fire, which has not yet been claimed by any group.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas鈥檚 Fatah movement called on its Islamist rivals Hamas on Saturday to relinquish power in order to safeguard the 鈥榚xistence鈥� of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
鈥楬amas must show compassion for Gaza, its children, women and men,鈥� Fatah spokesman Monther al-Hayek said in a message sent to AFP from Gaza.
He called on Hamas to 鈥榮tep aside from governing and fully recognise that the battle ahead will lead to the end of Palestinians鈥� existence鈥� if it remains in power in Gaza.
The territory has been devastated by an Israeli offensive in retaliation for the assault by Hamas and other Palestinian militants on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The attack resulted in 1,218 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.
Nearly 50,000 people in Gaza have been killed in the war, according to the Hamas-run territory鈥檚 health ministry.
