Hamas declared on Tuesday that it would suspend advancement to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement until Israel ceases its alleged violations and military operations in Gaza. Senior Hamas official Husam Badran urged mediating nations—Qatar, the United States, and Egypt—to pressure Israel into adhering to the initial terms of the truce.
Badran emphasized that the next phase of the agreement cannot proceed while Israel continues to breach the ceasefire terms and evade its commitments. Reports indicate that since the ceasefire began on October 10, Israel has violated the agreement at least 738 times.
The first phase stipulated a cessation of hostilities, the exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners, and increased humanitarian aid into Gaza. Badran highlighted that the agreement mandated the daily entry of 400 to 600 aid trucks and the reopening of the Rafah crossing for both goods and individuals. However, Israel has kept the crossing closed, leaving 6,000 aid trucks stranded, according to Gaza’s government media office director.
Under international pressure, Israel reopened the Allenby Bridge Crossing for commercial traffic, though humanitarian shipments remained heavily restricted. The crossing had been closed since September following a security incident.
A contentious aspect of the ceasefire involved the division of Gaza into Green and Red zones, separated by a Yellow Line. Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir stated that Israel would retain control over the Green zone, which encompasses most of Gaza’s agricultural land, the Rafah crossing, and over half of its territory. The UN condemned this move, with spokesperson Stephane Dujarric asserting that it contradicts the spirit of the Trump peace plan and called for the restoration of Gaza’s original borders.
Further exacerbating tensions, Israeli forces reportedly killed two Palestinian children near the Yellow Line on November 29, claiming they posed a threat. Additionally, Israel continued demolishing homes in the Green zone, violating terms meant to halt such operations.
The second phase of the agreement envisions a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas’s disarmament, and the deployment of an international stabilization force. Hamas expressed willingness to surrender its weapons to a future Palestinian government, contingent on an end to Israeli occupation. However, the proposed peace council, initially including figures like Tony Blair, faced setbacks following objections from Arab and Muslim leaders.
Since the October ceasefire, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reports that Israeli actions have resulted in over 380 fatalities and 987 injuries.