Qassam Brigades deny Rafah clashes: "We have no contact with anyone there"

• Al-Qassam Brigades reaffirmed full commitment to the ceasefire across Gaza.
• The group denied any knowledge or involvement in reported Rafah clashes, citing total loss of communication with fighters there since March.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, issued an official statement Sunday reaffirming its full commitment to implementing all terms of the ceasefire agreement, including the cessation of hostilities across the Gaza Strip.

The statement carries political weight as it explicitly denies any involvement or knowledge of incidents or clashes reported in Rafah, events which the ‘Israeli’ military used as justification for renewed airstrikes and escalations.

Al-Qassam clarified, “We have no knowledge of any incidents or clashes taking place in the Rafah area,” explaining that Rafah is considered a “red zone under full Israeli control.”

Read more: Hamas responds to US allegations of imminent Gaza civilian attack

The group further stated that communication has been “completely cut off with our remaining units there since the resumption of the war in March of this year.” The statement added, “We do not know whether they were martyred or are still alive since that date. Therefore, we have no connection to any events occurring in those areas, nor can we contact any of our fighters there, if any remain alive.”

The declaration presents a direct counter-narrative to ‘Israel’s’ claims and raises questions about the nature of the alleged Rafah incident. By emphasizing the total loss of contact since March, Al-Qassam effectively implies that any movement or activity in the heavily monitored and militarily controlled area would be beyond its central command’s authority - if it occurred at all.

The statement came in response to claims by ‘Israeli’ officials and affiliated media outlets that a “serious clash” took place in Rafah, which they described as a “violation of the ceasefire.” Following those reports, ‘Israel’ launched airstrikes on Rafah and held a high-level security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, amid threats of “wider operations.”

Amid starkly conflicting narratives, the ceasefire enters a critical stage. While Al-Qassam insists on its adherence and denies any role in the Rafah incident, ‘Israel’ appears poised to escalate based on its own assessments. The situation now hinges on whether diplomatic efforts can prevent a complete collapse of the fragile truce.