Hamas demands an end to Israel’s collective punishment

Hamas Political Bureau member Izzat Al-Rishq made the following statement on March 9, 2025, which was reprinted by Resistance News Network.

Hamas leader Izzat Al-Rishq.

The Islamic Resistance Movement – Hamas, affirms that the zionist occupation’s decision to cut off electricity to Gaza is a continuation of its policy of collective punishment against our people in the Strip.

This policy began on the first day of its aggression against Gaza on October 7, 2023, when it completely cut off electricity, having already deprived the population of food, medicine and water in a desperate attempt to pressure our people and resistance through unacceptable and cheap blackmail.

The occupation’s insistence on cutting electricity, closing crossings, halting aid relief and fuel and starving our people is a blatant continuation of collective punishment and constitutes a full-fledged war crime.

The occupation’s actions represent a flagrant violation of signed agreements and a breach of all human laws and norms, reaffirming that the occupation does not respect its commitments.

[Israel’s Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to obstruct the agreement witnessed by the world, attempting to impose a new roadmap that serves his personal interests at the expense of the lives of the occupation’s captives, without regard for the demands of their families.

We warn the occupation against continuing these crimes and affirm that the Palestinian people and their resistance will not succumb to this pressure. They will persist in their steadfastness until freedom and victory are achieved.

The only way forward is to adhere to the implementation of the agreement’s terms and to proceed with the second phase of negotiations. Any attempt at stalling is a waste of time and a manipulation of the fate of the captives.