As a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas approaches its end on Saturday, uncertainty looms over the next steps.
The initial phase, which halted 15 months of intense conflict, was intended to pave the way for further negotiations.
These talks were meant to address the release of remaining hostages captured during the October 7 2023 attack that initiated the war. In exchange, Hamas sought the release of more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire, and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
The Gaza ceasefire faces a crucial deadline. What happens next is unclear. The biggest challenge of the fragile ceasefire is yet to come by Samy Magdy, Joseph Krauss, Independent, Tuesday 25 February 2025
It is this (sustainable calm) that seems to be unacceptable to Israel’s government. In a statement, the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Israel will not allow Hamas to restore its evil rule in the Gaza Strip, Israel will not allow it to restore its military capabilities to continue striving for our destruction. Israel cannot accept a proposal that endangers the security of our citizens and the future of our country.”
In other words, Israel’s government wants the right to continue taking the fight to Hamas in the long run. By contrast, Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire.
What is not clear is whether there is a way for Qatari, Egyptian and American negotiators to find a middle path through this.
‘Sustainable calm’ proposal splits Israel and Hamas by James Landale, BBC, May 7, 2024
Difficult talks likely over the ceasefire’s next phase
The ceasefire deal has paused the deadliest and most devastating fighting ever between Israel and Hamas, but there are fears the war will resume after the first phase ends.
Hamas has said it will release four bodies next week, completing the first phase. After that, Hamas will hold about 60 hostages — about half believed to be alive.
Talks on the ceasefire’s second phase are yet to start, but negotiations are likely to be more difficult.
Hamas has said it won’t release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu, with the full backing of the Trump administration, says he’s committed to destroying Hamas’ military and governing capacities and returning all hostages, goals widely seen as mutually exclusive.
An Israeli official said Netanyahu would meet with security advisers on Saturday evening about the ceasefire’s future. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting had not been formally announced, said discussions would focus “on the goal of returning all our hostages, alive and dead.”
Gaza ceasefire’s future unclear as Hamas frees last 6 living hostages under 1st phase of its deal with Israel by Wafaa Shurafa (AP), Mohammad Jahjouth (AP) and Melanie Lidman (AP), PBS.org. Feb 22, 2025
Hamas militants on Saturday released the last six living Israeli hostages as part of the first phase of the ongoing ceasefire deal over Gaza. With just one week left of the first phase, and no concrete plans for step two, questions and concerns about the future of the Gaza Strip are ramping up. Among the hostages released were three Israeli men taken from the Nova music festival and another ambushed when visiting family during Hamas’ attack at the Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023. There, the militant group killed more than 1,200 people and captured roughly 240 others. The other two hostages had been held for approximately a decade after entering Gaza on their own. In exchange for the remaining hostages, Israel promised to release over 600 Palestinian prisoners — which would serve as the largest one-day prisoner release in the ceasefire’s first phase. The release, however, was delayed Saturday evening for what Israel called “security consultations.” The hostage release comes days after a dispute between Israel and Hamas, when the militant group reportedly gave back the wrong body for Shiri Bibas, an Israeli mother abducted with her two young boys. The remains were, however, determined to be those of a Palestinian woman.
Hamas frees 6 more hostages, but Gaza ceasefire’s future unclear, Global News, Feb 22, 2025
unflinching 