End of First Ceasefire in Gaza, Hamas Wants Negotiations, Israel Wants Hostages Freed First

CAIRO, SUNDAY — The first phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip ended on Sunday (2/3/2025). Early Sunday morning, the Israeli government announced its support for the proposal by U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, which includes an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire throughout Ramadan until Easter, April 20, and the release of hostages.

Hamas has not officially responded to Witkoff's proposal. However, they have insisted from the beginning on continuing negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire.

Hamas spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, on Saturday (1/3/2025), stated that Hamas rejects the terms desired by Israel when agreeing to the extension of the first phase of the ceasefire. The Palestinian resistance group did not explicitly mention Witkoff's proposal.

A Palestinian source, who is close to the negotiations, revealed to the AFP news agency that Israel offered an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire consecutively, with intervals of one week each involving the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Hamas rejected the offer.

A statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (2/3/2025) revealed details about the U.S. proposal. It includes an extension of the ceasefire until Easter, April 20.

It is stated in the proposal that on the first day of the ceasefire extension, half of the hostages held by Hamas—whether alive or deceased—are released. The remaining hostages will be freed if a permanent ceasefire is agreed upon.

The statement said that the U.S. proposal was submitted after Witkoff gained "the impression that at this time it is not possible to bridge all parties to end the war, and more time is needed to negotiate a permanent ceasefire."

According to Israel, there are still 59 hostages in Gaza, 32 of whom have been killed.

Israel prefers, after the end of the first ceasefire, an extension of the ceasefire to secure the release of further hostages. Meanwhile, Hamas has on several occasions stressed its "readiness to negotiate for a second ceasefire."

There has been no official statement from Hamas regarding Witkoff's proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire. According to an unidentified Hamas member, Witkoff's proposal, which was approved by Israel, is contrary to the ceasefire agreement.

According to a Hamas member who did not want to be identified, Witkoff's proposal, which was approved by Israel, is contrary to the ceasefire agreement.

As agreed between Hamas and Israel, the ceasefire in Gaza was divided into three stages. In stage I (for 42 days, starting from January 19, 2025), Hamas released 33 hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

In addition, hundreds of thousands of Gazans returned to their homes in northern Gaza, humanitarian aid was allowed into Gaza, and Israeli troops withdrew to the buffer zone.

In the second phase of the ceasefire that must be agreed upon first through negotiations by Hamas and Israel, it is also designed to last for 42 days like the first phase. The agreement is the return of the remaining Hamas hostages. On the other hand, Israel withdraws all troops from Gaza and stops any attacks permanently. Israel also releases the Palestinians who are being held according to the agreed number.

After the second phase is completed, there is a third phase for 42 days. This is the repatriation of the remains of the hostages and prisoners by both parties. In this phase, the development of Gaza will begin. Compensation to the aggrieved people is carried out under the supervision of several countries and institutions. Among them are the United Nations, Egypt, and Qatar (Kompas.id, 2/27/2025).

Israeli officials and mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the US are engaged in talks in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss a second phase of the ceasefire. Basem Naim, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, told the Associated Press (AP) news agency that there was no progress in the talks before the Israeli negotiators left on Friday (29/2/2025).

Hamas was not present in Cairo. Their position was represented by mediators Egypt and Qatar.

Two Palestinian officials who are following the negotiations told Reuters news agency that Israel has refused to enter into phase II of the ceasefire and start negotiations on it.

According to the ceasefire agreement, fighting should not start while negotiations for a second round of ceasefire discussions are underway.

However, Israel's latest statement said it could resume fighting "if it believes that negotiations are ineffective," noting that Hamas has refused to accept a proposal to extend the first ceasefire.

However, “if Hamas changes its position, Israel will immediately start negotiating all the details of the Witkoff plan.”

Before Israel's statement, an Egyptian official involved in the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity said Hamas, Egypt and Qatar wanted to continue the current ceasefire agreement. What they rejected was an Israeli proposal to extend the truce for four weeks and, during that time, Hamas would release hostages every Saturday without any formal talks on a second phase of the truce.

What Hamas, Egypt and Qatar rejected was Israel's proposal to extend the ceasefire for four weeks and, during that time, Hamas would release hostages every Saturday without any formal negotiations to discuss a second phase of the ceasefire.

According to the Egyptian official, the US wants to start negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire, but demands the release of Israeli hostages during the talks. Meanwhile, Hamas insists on fully implementing the ceasefire clauses.

In a statement before the Witkoff proposal was presented and approved by Israel, Hamas reiterated its “full commitment to implementing all the clauses of the agreement in all its stages and details.” They called on the international community to pressure Israel to immediately implement the second phase of the ceasefire.

The Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel. About 1,200 citizens in Israel and about 250 citizens in the territory were kidnapped by Hamas and Palestinian resistance factions. Israel responded indiscriminately, pounding the Gaza Strip to the point of destruction and killing—according to the Health Ministry in Gaza—more than 48,000 people.

There are other challenges that could complicate the continuation of the ceasefire in Gaza. Israel has said that Hamas should not rule Gaza after the war. Netanyahu also does not want Gaza to be ruled by the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is dominated by Fatah—Hamas’ rival—and backed by the West.

Hamas leader Mohamed Darwish, Saturday (1/3/2025), reiterated his group's desire to hand over power in Gaza to a Palestinian national consensus government or to a technocratic group offered by Egypt and not tied to Hamas or Fatah. This message was expressed in an open letter to the Arab League summit in Cairo, next week,

On Saturday (1/3/2025), Hamas released a video showing a group of hostages, including two brothers hugging before one of them was released from Gaza. The video was likely taken before February 15, 2025, when Yair Horn, one of the brothers, was released, while Eitan—his brother—was still being held.

“I am very happy, my brother will be released tomorrow, but separating families like this is illogical,” Eitan said in the video. “Immediately sign (the ceasefire) phase II and III. Enough of the war.”

"We demand from the policymakers: Look Eitan in the eye. Do not stop the agreement that could bring dozens of hostages back to us," said the families of the hostage victims.

Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at risk management consultancy Le Beck International, said Israeli domestic politics were the reason Netanyahu was reluctant to start implementing the phase two ceasefire deal. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the right-wing leader in Netanyahu's coalition government, has threatened to quit the government if the war is not resumed.

"The Israeli government will collapse if we enter the second phase (ceasefire)," said Horowitz.

(AP/AFP/REUTERS)