Uncertainty in Gaza as Palestinian group says no ongoing talks for second phase of truce even as first phase expires on Saturday.
As the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza draws to a close, negotiations on the next stage, aimed at securing a permanent truce, have so far been inconclusive.
Hamas on Saturday rejected Israel’s “formulation” of extending the first phase of the ceasefire instead of proceeding to the second phase as originally planned, calling it unacceptable.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Al Araby TV that no talks were being held for a second ceasefire phase even as the first phase is due to expire on Saturday.
Qassem said Israel bears the responsibility for not starting second phase negotiations, accusing it of wanting to recover the remaining captives from Gaza while retaining the possibility of resuming the war.
His comments come a day after Hamas urged Israel to move onto the second phase and confirmed its “full commitment to implementing all the terms of the agreement 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 said on Friday. However, those negotiations apparently bore no fruit.
Talks over the second phase of the ceasefire are meant to negotiate a comprehensive end to the fighting in Gaza, including the return of all remaining captives and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
According to Israel, there are 59 captives remaining in Gaza, 24 of whom are still believed to be alive.
On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters: “We said we are ready to extend the framework [of phase one] in return for the release of more hostages. If it is possible, we’ll do that.”
‘No going back’
Sami al-Arian, a professor at Istanbul Zaim University, said 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 told Al Jazeera. “So that’s bad news for any negotiations because Hamas won’t agree to this.”
Meanwhile, humanitarian organisations have repeatedly said the ceasefire must continue 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 said in a post on X. “The ceasefire must hold. There can be no going back.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday said 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 critical. The parties must spare no effort to avoid a breakdown of this deal,” Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.
Fear of fighting resuming
Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Gaza, said 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 return 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 reported more than 350 violations by Israel, including military incursions, gunfire, air strikes, intensified 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 reported delays in allowing displaced families to return to areas in northern Gaza as well as shortfalls in the agreed levels of aid allowed into the enclave.
