Negotiations are underway in Egypt for the second phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza, as the initial phase was set to expire on Saturday. Israeli representatives flew into Cairo on Thursday with Qatari and US mediators for what was described as “intensive discussions,” Egypt’s state information service reported.
The focus of these talks is to reach a total solution to the Gaza crisis, including the release of all remaining hostages and the total withdrawal of Israeli troops from the region. It has been stated that Israel recognizes 59 hostages still being held in Gaza, of which 24 are believed to be alive.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was not sure of the outcome of the negotiations, stating that the delegation would have to decide whether there could be a meeting point. He emphasized the readiness to extend the first ceasefire framework in exchange for the release of more hostages.
In a statement on Friday, Hamas confirmed that it is willing to go ahead to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement and invited Israel to do so without delay. Hamas called upon the world to pressure Israel into adhering fully to the terms of the agreement.
The possibility of a deal is also made more complicated by the announced war objectives of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who, with the support of U.S. President Donald Trump, has vowed to eradicate Hamas completely.
Al Jazeera explains that Israel is making a 42-day extension of the first phase of the truce, which would see humanitarian aid like tents and mobile homes into Gaza in exchange for Hamas releasing its remaining captives. But Hamas has rejected this offer.
Political analyst Mohamad Elmasry of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies explained that Israel’s move suggests no genuine intention to end the war, as the presence of Hamas in Gaza guarantees that going back to war is unavoidable.
These negotiations follow a recent exchange in which Hamas returned the bodies of four hostages for over 600 Palestinian prisoners, the final scheduled exchange of the first phase of the truce. Israel delayed releasing 46 of them, all women and children, due to identification issues with the bodies they received.
Also, there were signs of escalating tensions when an Israeli government spokesman stated that troops would not withdraw as scheduled from the Philadelphi Corridor, a strategic area in southern Gaza along the Egyptian border. Under the current ceasefire agreement, Israeli soldiers were to begin withdrawing on Saturday and complete the withdrawal within eight days.
The truce, which took effect on January 19, brought an end to 15 months of conflict ignited by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The attack had murdered at least 1,139 in Israel and abducted around 250 individuals. The war in Gaza has since murdered over 48,000 Palestinians, who were primarily women and children, and displaced over 90% of the population of the enclave and razed significant portions of the territory.
