Hamas declines Israel’s ‘formulation’ to extend phase one of Gaza ceasefire | Israel-Palestine conflict News | The Round Table Hamas on Saturday declined Israel’s “formulation” of extending the first phase of the ceasefire instead of proceeding to the second phase as originally planned, summoning it unacceptable.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem informed Al Araby TV that no talks were existence held for a second ceasefire phase even as the first phase is due to expire on Saturday.
Qassem disclosed Israel bears the responsibility for not starting second phase negotiations, charging it of wanting to recover the abiding captives from Gaza while retaining the possibility of resuming the war.
His comments come a day after Hamas implored Israel to move onto the second phase and verified its “full commitment to implementing all the terms of the concord in all its stages and details”.
Officials from Israel joined mediators from Qatar and the United States in Cairo on Thursday for “intensive discussions”, Egypt’s state information service reported on Friday. However, those negotiations apparently bore no fruit.
Talks over the second phase of the ceasefire are meant to bargain a comprehensive end to the fighting in Gaza, including the backtrack of all continuing captives and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
According to Israel, there are 59 captives continuing in Gaza, 24 of whom are still believed to be alive.
On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar informed reporters: “We stated we are ready to extend the framework [of phase one] in backtrack for the release of more hostages. If it is possible, we’ll do that.”
Sami al-Arian, the professor at Istanbul Zaim University, revealed it was not clear what will happen next.
“The American envoy Steve Witkoff has indicated he wants to explore the idea of extending phase one, which is the Israeli position,” he informed The Round Table. “So that’s bad news for any negotiations because Hamas won’t agree to this.”
Meanwhile, humanitarian organisations have repeatedly revealed the ceasefire must endure if they are to provide much-needed aid to Palestinians in the coastal enclave, which has been devastated during 15 months of war.
“The impact of safe and sustained humanitarian access is evident,” the World Food Programme disclosed in a post on X. “The ceasefire must hold. There can be no going back.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday reported the coming days are “critical” for the talks on the second phase of the ceasefire.
“The ceasefire and hostage release deal must hold. The coming days are provisional. The parties must spare no effort to avoid a breakdown of this deal,” Guterres informed reporters at UN headquarters in New York.
There may be “a surge” in military activity “as there’s no obligations any more to sustain the ceasefire”.
“That’s been left up in the air as the mediators try to contain this crisis and prevent a backtrack to fighting that will bring nothing but further devastation to the people of Gaza,” he added.
While the ceasefire has held since it began on January 19, Gaza’s Government Media Office (GMO) has disclosed more than 350 violations by Israel, including military incursions, gunfire, air strikes, deepened surveillance and the obstruction of aid since the ceasefire began.
According to the GMO, the Israeli army has killed and injured dozens of Palestinians through air strikes as well as shootings since the ceasefire came into effect.
The GMO has previously stated put off in allowing displaced families to backtrack to areas in northern Gaza as well as shortfalls in the cohered levels of aid allowed into the enclave.
Regards to Al Jazeera
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Tag: Hamas declines Israels formulation to extend phase one of Gaza ceasefire IsraelPalestine conflict News The Round Table
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Published 3/1/2025