Hamas Urges Global Pressure on Israel to Enter Second Phase of Gaza Ceasefire Agreement

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Hamas has called on mediators and the international community to pressure Israel to move forward with the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, reaffirming its full commitment to implementing the deal amid reports that Israel seeks to extend the first phase.

In a statement on Friday, Hamas reaffirmed “its full commitment to implementing all aspects of the agreement in all its stages and details” after completing the first phase.

“We urge the mediators, guarantors, and the international community to put pressure on the Israeli occupation to fully uphold its responsibilities under the agreement and to promptly proceed to the second phase without any delay,” it added.

An Israeli delegation in Cairo aims to negotiate to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal by an additional 42 days, two Egyptian security sources reportedly said on Friday.

Hamas opposes the extension and insists on proceeding to the second phase of the deal as originally agreed, the sources told Reuters. The second phase is meant to include steps leading to a permanent end to the war.

The first phase of the ceasefire ended on Saturday. Two Israeli government officials had told Reuters that Israel was seeking to extend the initial phase, with Hamas releasing three captives each week in exchange for Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.

However, Egypt‘s state information service claimed that negotiations between Israel and Hamas on the next phase began Thursday.

Officials from Israel, Qatar and the United States started “intensive discussions” on the ceasefire’s second phase in Cairo, Egypt‘s state information service said, according to the AP.

“The mediators are also discussing ways to enhance the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, as part of efforts to alleviate the suffering of the population and support stability in the region,” its statement said.

In response, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Al-Arabiya TV that there “are currently no negotiations with the movement regarding the second phase.”

“The occupation is responsible for not starting the negotiations for the second phase of the Gaza agreement. The occupation wants to retrieve its captives with the possibility of resuming the aggression on the Gaza Strip. The occupation is evading its commitment to ending the war and withdrawing completely from Gaza,” he said.