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Express Tribune
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Phase one of Israel-Hamas truce due to expire
A displaced Palestinian child, fleeing Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, walks on a road in Gaza City. pHOTO: AFP The first phase of the Israel-Hamas truce is due to expire on Saturday, but negotiations on the next stage, which should secure a permanent ceasefire, have so far been inconclusive. The ceasefire took effect on January 19 after more than 15 months of war sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, the deadliest in the country's history. Over several weeks, Gaza militants freed 25 living hostages and returned the bodies of eight others to Israel, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The second phase of the fragile truce, which was brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt after months of gruelling negotiations, should begin on Sunday, and should secure the release of dozens of hostages still in Gaza. On Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to hold a ministerial meeting with security officials, according to Israeli media, after he sent a delegation to Egypt for discussions on phase two of the truce. On Thursday, Egypt's State Information Service said: "The relevant parties have begun intensive talks to discuss the next phases of the truce agreement, amid ongoing efforts to ensure the implementation of the previously agreed understandings." It also said Israeli, Qatari and US delegations were in Cairo for the talks. By early Saturday, there was no sign of consensus, or of a presence of a Hamas delegation in the Egyptian capital. Max Rodenbeck, of the International Crisis Group think tank, said the second phase cannot be expected to start on Saturday. "But I think the ceasefire probably won't collapse also," he said. The preferred Israeli scenario is to free more hostages under an extension of the first phase, rather than a second phase, Defence Minister Israel Katz said. Hamas, for its part, has pushed hard for phase two to begin, after it suffered staggering losses in the devastating war. In a statement, it said that it "affirms its full commitment to implementing all the provisions of the agreement in all its stages and details". The group also called for global pressure on Israel "to immediately enter the second phase of the agreement without any delay". Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's attack, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Voice of America
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Voice of America
Phase one of Israel-Hamas truce set to expire
The first phase of the Israel-Hamas truce is due to expire on Saturday, and negotiations on the next stage to secure a permanent ceasefire so far have been inconclusive. The ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19 after more than 15 months of war sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, the deadliest in the country's history. Over several weeks, Hamas freed 25 living hostages and returned the bodies of eight others to Israel in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The fragile truce was brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt after months of grueling negotiations. The second phase should begin on Sunday and would secure the release of dozens of hostages still in Gaza. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to hold a ministerial meeting with security officials, according to Israeli media, after he sent a delegation to Egypt for discussions on phase two of the truce. On Thursday, Egypt's State Information Service said: "The relevant parties have begun intensive talks to discuss the next phases of the truce agreement, amid ongoing efforts to ensure the implementation of the previously agreed understandings." It also said Israeli, Qatari and U.S. delegations were in Cairo for the talks. By early Saturday, there was no sign of consensus, or of a presence of a Hamas delegation in the Egyptian capital. Max Rodenbeck, of the International Crisis Group think tank, said the second phase cannot be expected to start on Saturday. "But I think the ceasefire probably won't collapse also," he said. The preferred Israeli scenario is to free more hostages under an extension of the first phase, rather than a second phase, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said. Hamas, for its part, has pushed hard for phase two to begin after it suffered staggering losses in the devastating war. In a statement, it said that it "affirms its full commitment to implementing all the provisions of the agreement in all its stages and details." The group also called for global pressure on Israel "to immediately enter the second phase of the agreement without any delay." Ceasefire 'must hold' Of the 251 hostages seized during the Hamas terrorist attack, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal "must hold," with just hours to go before the initial phase expires. "The coming days are critical. The parties must spare no effort to avoid a breakdown of this deal," Guterres said in New York. The truce enabled greater aid flows into the territory, where more than 69% of buildings were damaged or destroyed, almost the entire population was displaced, and widespread hunger occurred because of the war, according to the United Nations.
The Guardian
01-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Gaza ceasefire talks have made no progress on second phase, Hamas says
The latest round of talks on the second phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has made no progress so far, and it was unclear whether they would resume on Saturday, a senior Hamas official has said. The ceasefire took effect on 19 January after more than 15 months of war sparked by Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, the deadliest in the country's history. During the initial six-week phase of the ceasefire, Gaza militants freed 25 living hostages and returned the bodies of eight others to Israel, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. A second phase of the fragile truce was supposed to secure the release of dozens of hostages still in Gaza and pave the way for a more permanent end to the war. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had sent a delegation to Cairo, and Egypt, which is mediating, said 'intensive talks' on the second phase had begun, with delegations from Israel and Egypt's fellow mediators Qatar and the US. But by early on Saturday, there was no sign of consensus, and a Hamas source accused Israel of delaying the second phase. 'The second phase of the ceasefire agreement is supposed to begin tomorrow morning, Sunday … but the occupation is still procrastinating and continuing to violate the agreement,' the source told Agence-France Presse. A Palestinian source close to the talks told AFP that, despite the absence of a Hamas delegation in Cairo, discussions were under way to find a way through the impasse. Max Rodenbeck, of the International Crisis Group thinktank, said the second phase could not be expected to start immediately. 'But I think the ceasefire probably won't collapse also,' he added. The preferred Israeli scenario is to free more hostages under an extension of the first phase, rather than a second phase, the defence minister, Israel Katz, said. Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's attack, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas, for its part, has pushed hard for phase two to begin, after it suffered staggering losses in the devastating war. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, said on Friday that the Israel-Hamas ceasefire 'must hold'. 'The coming days are critical. The parties must spare no effort to avoid a breakdown of this deal,' Guterres said in New York. The truce enabled more aid to flow into the Gaza Strip, where more than 69% of buildings were damaged or destroyed, almost the entire population was displaced, and widespread hunger occurred because of the war, according to the UN. In Gaza and throughout much of the Muslim world, Saturday also marked the first day of the month of Ramadan, during which the faithful observe a dawn-to-dusk fast. Among the rubble of Gaza's war-wrecked neighbourhoods, traditional Ramadan lanterns hung and people performed nightly prayers on the eve of the holy month. 'Ramadan has come this year, and we are on the streets with no shelter, no work, no money, nothing,' said Ali Rajih, a resident of the hard-hit Jabaliya camp in north Gaza. 'My eight children and I are homeless, we're living on the streets of Jabaliya camp, with nothing but God's mercy.' The Gaza war began with Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The Israeli retaliation has killed more than 48,000 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the UN has deemed reliable. Though the truce has in effect held, there have been a number of Israeli strikes, including on Friday when the military said it targeted two 'suspects' approaching troops in southern Gaza. A hospital in Khan Younis said it had received the body of one person killed in a strike. In return for the release of the captives held in Gaza, Israel released nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners from its jails. Gaza militants also released five Thai hostages outside the truce deal's terms.
Arab News
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Uncertainty looms as first phase of Gaza truce due to expire
GAZA:The first phase of the Israel-Hamas truce is drawing to a close on Saturday, but negotiations on the next stage, which should secure a permanent ceasefire, have so far been inconclusive. The ceasefire took effect on January 19 after more than 15 months of war on Gaza. Over the initial six-week phase, Gaza militants freed 25 living hostages and returned the bodies of eight others to Israel, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. A second phase of the fragile truce was supposed to secure the release of dozens of hostages still in Gaza and pave the way for a more permanent end to the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sent a delegation to Cairo, and mediator Egypt said 'intensive talks' on the second phase had begun with the presence of delegations from Israel as well as fellow mediators Qatar and the United States. But by early Saturday, there was no sign of consensus, and a Hamas source accused Israel of delaying the second phase. 'The second phase of the ceasefire agreement is supposed to begin tomorrow morning, Sunday... but the occupation is still procrastinating and continuing to violate the agreement,' the source told AFP. A Palestinian source close to the talks meanwhile told AFP that, despite the absence of a Hamas delegation in Cairo, discussions were underway seeking a way through the impasse. Max Rodenbeck, of the International Crisis Group think tank, said the second phase cannot be expected to start immediately. 'But I think the ceasefire probably won't collapse also,' he said. The preferred Israeli scenario is to free more hostages under an extension of the first phase, rather than a second phase, Defense Minister Israel Katz said. Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's attack, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas, for its part, has pushed hard for phase two to begin, after it suffered staggering losses in the devastating war. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that the Israel-Hamas ceasefire 'must hold.' 'The coming days are critical. The parties must spare no effort to avoid a breakdown of this deal,' Guterres said in New York. The truce enabled greater aid flows into the Gaza Strip, where more than 69 percent of buildings were damaged or destroyed, almost the entire population was displaced, and widespread hunger occurred because of the war, according to the United Nations. In Gaza and throughout much of the Muslim world, Saturday also marked the first day of the month of Ramadan, during which the faithful observe a dawn-to-dusk fast. Among the rubble of Gaza's war-wrecked neighborhoods, traditional Ramadan lanterns hung and people performed nightly prayers on the eve of the holy month. 'Ramadan has come this year, and we are on the streets with no shelter, no work, no money, nothing,' said Ali Rajih, a resident of the hard-hit Jabalia camp in north Gaza. 'My eight children and I are homeless, we're living on the streets of Jabalia camp, with nothing but God's mercy.' The Gaza war began with Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The Israeli retaliation has killed more than 48,000 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the UN has deemed reliable. Though the truce has effectively held, there have been a number of Israeli strikes, including on Friday when the military said it targeted two 'suspects' approaching troops in southern Gaza. A hospital in Khan Yunis said it had received the body of one person killed in a strike. In return for the release of the captives held in Gaza, Israel released nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners from its jails. Gaza militants also released five Thai hostages outside the truce deal's terms.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Phase one of Israel-Hamas truce due to expire
The first phase of the Israel-Hamas truce is due to expire on Saturday, but negotiations on the next stage, which should secure a permanent ceasefire, have so far been inconclusive. The ceasefire took effect on January 19 after more than 15 months of war sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, the deadliest in the country's history. Over several weeks, Gaza militants freed 25 living hostages and returned the bodies of eight others to Israel, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The second phase of the fragile truce, which was brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt after months of gruelling negotiations, should begin on Sunday, and should secure the release of dozens of hostages still in Gaza. On Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to hold a ministerial meeting with security officials, according to Israeli media, after he sent a delegation to Egypt for discussions on phase two of the truce. On Thursday, Egypt's State Information Service said: "The relevant parties have begun intensive talks to discuss the next phases of the truce agreement, amid ongoing efforts to ensure the implementation of the previously agreed understandings." It also said Israeli, Qatari and US delegations were in Cairo for the talks. By early Saturday, there was no sign of consensus, or of a presence of a Hamas delegation in the Egyptian capital. Max Rodenbeck, of the International Crisis Group think tank, said the second phase cannot be expected to start on Saturday. "But I think the ceasefire probably won't collapse also," he said. The preferred Israeli scenario is to free more hostages under an extension of the first phase, rather than a second phase, Defence Minister Israel Katz said. Hamas, for its part, has pushed hard for phase two to begin, after it suffered staggering losses in the devastating war. In a statement, it said that it "affirms its full commitment to implementing all the provisions of the agreement in all its stages and details". The group also called for global pressure on Israel "to immediately enter the second phase of the agreement without any delay". - Ceasefire 'must hold' - Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's attack, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal "must hold", with just hours to go before the initial phase expires. "The coming days are critical. The parties must spare no effort to avoid a breakdown of this deal," Guterres said in New York. The truce enabled greater aid flows into the territory, where more than 69 percent of buildings were damaged or destroyed, almost the entire population was displaced, and widespread hunger occurred because of the war, according to the United Nations. - Ramadan begins - In Gaza and throughout the Muslim world, this weekend is also the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Among the rubble of a war-devastated neighbourhood of Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, traditional Ramadan lanterns hung. The Gaza war began with Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The Israeli retaliation has killed more than 48,000 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the UN has deemed reliable. In a relatively rare incident during the truce, Israel's military said an air strike on Friday targeted two "suspects" approaching troops in southern Gaza, as a hospital in Khan Yunis said it had received the body of one person killed "in a strike". - 'Shackled with chains' - Among the Israeli hostages released during the first phase of the truce was Eli Sharabi, now 53, who recounted his suffering in a televised interview. "For a year and four months my legs were shackled with chains with very, very heavy locks that cut into your flesh," Sharabi said. He spoke of intense hunger and food deprivation. In return for the release of Sharabi and other captives, Israel released around 1,800 Palestinian prisoners from its jails. The Israeli branch of Physicians for Human Rights issued a report that denounced mistreatment "amounting to torture" of Gazan health care workers in Israeli custody. It said more than 250 have been detained by Israel since the Gaza war began. Gaza militants also released five Thai hostages outside the truce deal's terms. bur-ser/lb
