GAZA CITY: Hamas said on Tuesday that the Gaza ceasefire agreement cannot move into its second phase unless Israel stops what it described as ongoing violations of the deal. The group urged international mediators to intensify pressure on Israel to fully implement the commitments laid out in the first stage of the truce.
The ceasefire — brokered by the United States and in place since October 10 — ended active fighting that erupted after Hamas’s deadly assault on Israel on October 7, 2023. Despite the pause, the arrangement has remained precarious, with both sides regularly accusing each other of failing to uphold the agreement.
In a separate development, an Israeli official announced that the Allenby crossing, which connects Jordan to the occupied West Bank, will reopen to humanitarian aid convoys bound for Gaza on Wednesday. The crossing has been closed to aid shipments since late September following a deadly shooting involving a Jordanian truck driver and two Israeli personnel. Although travel resumed shortly afterward, aid deliveries to Gaza had not been permitted until now.
Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badran said Israel has not fulfilled several critical commitments, including reopening the Rafah crossing with Egypt and increasing humanitarian shipments into the besieged Palestinian territory. He called on Egypt, Qatar, and the United States — the three main mediators — to compel Israel to “complete the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Palestinian groups agreed to release the final 48 Israeli captives, both living and deceased. All have now been returned except for one body that remains in Gaza. Israel, in turn, has freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and handed over the remains of hundreds of Palestinians killed in previous operations.
The first stage of the truce also requires a substantial rise in humanitarian aid entering Gaza, which international agencies say remains far below what is needed.
Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted the second phase of the deal could begin soon, Badran said Hamas would not proceed “as long as the occupation continues its violations.”
Debate Over Troop Withdrawal Line
Announcing the limited reopening of the Allenby crossing, the Israeli official said all aid trucks would be “escorted and monitored” after undergoing security checks. The crossing, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, is a key gateway for goods entering the West Bank and, indirectly, Gaza.
Under the initial ceasefire steps, Israeli troops pulled back to positions behind what is known as the “Yellow Line,” but they continue to hold more than half of the Gaza Strip. On Sunday, Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir described the demarcation line as a “new border line,” a remark that angered Hamas leaders.
Badran condemned Zamir’s statement, saying it exposed Israel’s “lack of commitment to the ceasefire agreement” and signaled intentions to entrench its presence in Gaza.
Uncertain Path Toward Phase Two
The second phase of the truce outlines a broader framework: Hamas would begin a process of disarmament, Israeli forces would withdraw further, and a transitional authority would take shape in Gaza, supported by an international stabilization mission.
Israel has insisted this stage cannot begin until Hamas surrenders the body of the last Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili. The broader plan ultimately envisions a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, contingent on progress at each stage.
Hamas, however, says it would only disarm as part of a negotiated settlement that leads to a sovereign Palestinian state and a complete end to Israel’s occupation.
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