Hamas rejects Israel’s ‘formulation’ of extending first Gaza ceasefire phase

Hamas said on Saturday that it rejected Israel’s “formulation” of extending the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, on the day the first stage of the deal was set to expire.

The group’s spokesperson Hazem Qassem also told Al-Araby TV there were no current talks for a second ceasefire phase in Gaza with the group.

“Extending the first phase in the formulation proposed by the [Israeli] occupation is unacceptable to us,” said Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem. “The occupation is evading its commitment to end the war and withdraw completely from Gaza.”

He added that Israel seeks to extend the first phase to bring back captives held in Gaza while retaining the option to resume hostilities, stressing that this approach contradicts the terms of the agreement.

“The occupation is attempting to return things to square one by mixing the cards with its proposal to extend the first phase,” he emphasized.

Delegations from Qatar and Israel have already begun “intensive talks” in Cairo regarding the future of the ceasefire, with participation from US representatives, according to Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS) on Thursday.

However, progress in the talks has yet to be announced.

The SIS stated that the delegations are also examining ways to enhance the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave.

Thus far, there are no negotiations taking place with Hamas regarding the second phase of the deal, Qassem indicated, blaming Israel for the delay.

The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, took effect on January 19 and expired on Saturday, which coincides with the first day of the Muslims' holy month of Ramadan.

Negotiations for the second phase were supposed to start on the 16th day of the 42-day initial phase and the second phase was scheduled to kick off on Sunday.

Qassem urged mediators and guarantor countries to compel Israel to adhere to the agreement in its various phases.

The second phase aims to establish a permanent cessation of war, ensure a full withdrawal of Israeli troops, and facilitate the release of dozens of captives still held by Hamas.

Under the initial phase of the agreement, Hamas released 30 living captives taken from Israel in October 2023, including Israeli civilians and soldiers, and Thai nationals.

Additionally, Hamas returned the bodies of eight Israeli captives it asserts were killed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza.

Dozens of captives remain held by Hamas, with about half believed to still be alive.

In exchange, Israel has released about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including many detained during the war, along with others who were serving life sentences.

Hamas has stated it is prepared to release all remaining captives in one go in exchange for a permanent end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave.

Moreover, the ceasefire has allowed the entry of thousands of trucks laden with humanitarian aid to support more than 2 million Palestinians living there, most of whom have lost their homes and access to basic services due to Israeli attacks.

Hamas has repeatedly confirmed its readiness to enter negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire.

EXTENDING 1ST PHASE

Israeli negotiators reportedly aim to extend the initial ceasefire phase to secure the release of more captives while delaying any final agreement regarding the future of Gaza.

Two Israeli officials indicated that Tel Aviv seeks to prolong this preliminary phase by having Hamas release three captives each week in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated that their delegation will assess whether there is common ground for negotiating an extension of the truce.

“We said we are ready to extend the framework [of phase one] in return for the release of more hostages,” Sa’ar said at a press conference.

Steve Witkoff, the US President’s special envoy to the Middle East, suggested extending the initial phase by continuing the captive-prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas.

US President Donald Trump remarked at a White House press conference on Thursday that there were “pretty good talks going on” regarding the Gaza ceasefire.

KEY TALLIES

The war in Gaza, one of the bloodiest of the century, saw Israeli forces killing more than 48,300 Palestinians, injuring more than 111,800 more and devastating the enclave.

The war was triggered by an attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, when Al Qassam fighters stormed Israeli cities near Gaza and captured 251 Israelis and other foreign nationals.

According to an AP tally, the total number of captives returned to Israel in exchanges or other deals stands at 147, including the eight bodies returned over the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, around 27 of some 59 captives still held by Hamas are presumed to be alive.