Israeli Government Extends Ceasefire with Hamas Amid Negotiation Stalemate
Shortly after midnight on Sunday, the Israeli government made a unilateral decision to extend the first phase of the ceasefire with Hamas, defying the Palestinian group's desire to move into the second phase as stipulated in the agreements reached in mid-January. These agreements had halted 15 months of hostilities in the Gaza Strip. Contrary to Hamas's demands, Israel remains unwilling to commence negotiations for phase two, primarily to retain its military presence in the area, including several occupied buffer zones.
The extension, which follows a proposal by U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, is set to last 49 days—one week longer than the original duration of phase one. This extension will cover the month of Ramadan, a sacred time for Muslims, and is slated to conclude with the end of Jewish Passover on April 20. The terms of the ceasefire theoretically include the immediate release of half of the remaining hostages in the Strip, with the other half being released upon reaching a definitive ceasefire agreement.
However, this poses a significant challenge for Hamas, which regards the hostages as leverage to negotiate concessions from Israel. The group has already rejected the proposal for a ceasefire extension. On Sunday, a Hamas official, Mahmoud Mardawi, expressed to AFP that extending phase one would represent a breach of the initial agreements, asserting that only through the full implementation of these agreements could peace in the region be attained.
In a related development, Israel announced on Sunday the blocking of all goods and humanitarian aid from reaching the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas's refusal to extend the ceasefire. Despite this, hostilities are expected to pause during the negotiations. A critical juncture may arise soon on March 8, when the agreement stipulates that Israel must complete its withdrawal from the Philadelphi corridor. Failure to do so could lead to accusations of violating the terms and potential retaliatory actions, including military strikes.
Details of the anticipated second phase have remained vague, despite expectations that Hamas, Israel, and U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators would finalize these during the first phase, intended to last six weeks and ending on March 1. The second phase is anticipated to require a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip—a process partially implemented at the onset of phase one—along with the release of all hostages held by Hamas, dead or alive.
The objectives for a possible third phase remain even less defined, but it is thought to involve plans for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
In summary, the extension of the first phase of the ceasefire is the only phase for which a concrete agreement was achieved. This agreement initially provided for the release of 33 hostages captured by Hamas and other militant factions in exchange for nearly 2000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention. Despite some complications arising recently, the agreement has been maintained to a degree, with Hamas releasing 25 live hostages and the bodies of eight others in return for Israel freeing hundreds of Palestinian inmates.
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