Phase Two Ceasefire Talks in Gaza Begin

CAIRO, FRIDAY - The second phase of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire negotiations in Gaza began in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday (27/2/2025) local time or Friday Indonesian time.

The second phase of the ceasefire is intended as a continuation of the first phase, which ended on Saturday (1/3/2025). Israel's reluctance to withdraw troops from the Philadelphia Corridor remains an obstacle.

The Egyptian State Information Service stated that officials from Israel, Qatar, and the United States (US) have begun intensive discussions regarding the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.

"The mediators also discussed 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," the statement said.

The negotiations for the second phase are intended to negotiate the end of the war and the return of all remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza. The discussions also address the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Gaza region. Meanwhile, the return of the bodies of Israeli citizens held hostage will be carried out in the third phase.

We reaffirm our full commitment to the ceasefire agreement and express our readiness to enter negotiations for the second phase of the agreement.

Hamas said it was ready to start a second phase of talks on a ceasefire in Gaza, after hundreds of Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons in exchange for the return of the bodies of four Israelis held hostage by Hamas.

The exchange was the last exchange in the first phase of the ceasefire. The first phase of the ceasefire lasted for six weeks (42 days) in Gaza. The first phase began on January 19, 2025. According to Israel, there are still 59 of its citizens being held hostage in Gaza. 24 of them are believed to be alive.

Hamas said the only way to free the remaining hostages in Gaza was through a commitment to the ceasefire. "We renew our full commitment to the ceasefire agreement, and affirm our readiness to enter into negotiations on the second phase of the agreement," the group said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent negotiators to Cairo on Thursday after the swap concluded. Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, is due to arrive in Cairo in the coming days.

Freed

Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli jails early Thursday in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The Egyptian government-affiliated Al-Qahera News said that 97 people deported by Israel arrived at the Rafah crossing in Gaza. On the other hand, Hamas released the bodies of four Israeli hostages, in exchange for the release of more than 600 Palestinians held by Israel.

Following the exchange, Hamas called on Israel to return to the stalled second phase of talks as part of efforts to end the war permanently.

"We have cut off the path before the enemy gives false justifications, and they have no choice but to start negotiations for the second phase," Hamas said, referring to Israel.

The stumbling block to the second phase of talks began after Israel voiced reluctance to withdraw its forces from the entire Gaza Strip as Hamas demands. Hours before the talks began, an Israeli official said the country would not withdraw from a strategic corridor in the Gaza Strip.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israeli troops must remain in the so-called Philadelphia corridor, which runs along the Gaza border with Egypt, to prevent weapons smuggling.

Separately, in a meeting with local leaders, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed he had seen tunnels through the border during his last visit to the corridor. He did not provide evidence for the claim, nor did Katz elaborate on Israel's plans for the corridor.

Meanwhile, Cairo says it destroyed smuggling tunnels that existed on the Egyptian side years ago. It also says it has set up a military buffer zone to stop smuggling.

Hamas said any Israeli attempt to maintain a buffer zone in the corridor would be a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement, which it said it has been abiding by.

They stressed that the withdrawal of troops from all areas of Gaza including the Philadelphia Corridor is the only way for Israel to secure the release of dozens of hostages still being held in Gaza.

Israel was supposed to begin withdrawing from the Philadelphia corridor on the final day of the phase one ceasefire, which was Saturday. Israel had eight days after that to complete the withdrawal process.

There was no immediate comment on the corridor from Egypt, which opposes Israel's presence in Gaza.

Despite having passed the first phase of the ceasefire, Netanyahu remains firm in his statement that he will continue fighting until Hamas is no longer a threat to Israel.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said he will return all hostages and destroy the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, which still controls Gaza. The Trump administration supports him. Netanyahu's stance, supported by Trump, could be a major obstacle to achieving a lasting ceasefire.

On the contrary, after 15 months of relentless attacks, Hamas remains strong despite having lost a number of top leaders and thousands of members.

It is unclear how Israel will destroy Hamas without starting another war, and Hamas will not return its remaining prisoners without a commitment to a permanent ceasefire.

Meanwhile, at home, the Israeli public continues to pressure Netanyahu to extend the ceasefire for the return of prisoners from Gaza. Others are pressing for the continuation of the war.

On Thursday, Hamas confirmed that more than 600 Palestinians detained by Israel had been released overnight. Most were Palestinians who were returned to Gaza, where they were arrested after the Oct. 7, 2023, offensive. They were held without trial.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club, a group representing Palestinian prisoners and former prisoners, said among them were 44 boys aged 15-19 and two women.

Many of the teenagers looked emaciated as they got off a Red Cross bus in Khan Younis. The freed Palestinians had previously described their treatment in Israeli prisons.

The released prisoners were greeted with hugs and tears from their families. In the West Bank town of Beitunia, dozens of prisoners were greeted by a crowd of relatives and well-wishers. The families and friends of the prisoners had been waiting for days because Israel had delayed the releases last weekend.

The delay in the release was triggered by Israeli protests over Hamas's procession when returning the hostages and bodies of Israeli citizens some time ago. Israel, the Red Cross and United Nations (UN) officials called the procession embarrassing for the hostages.

In response to the protests, Hamas handed over the four bodies to the Red Cross in Gaza without a parade in a final exchange.

In total, Hamas has returned 33 Israeli hostages held in the first phase of the truce, including eight bodies. In exchange, Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinians it had held.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he shared the deep pain of the family of Ohad Yahalomi, one of the bodies returned by Hamas who also had French citizenship.

The Hamas-Israel war in Gaza began after Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed in the attack, and about 250 others were taken hostage in Gaza.

During the 15 months of war, nearly 150 people have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals, while dozens of bodies have been recovered by Israeli forces and eight hostages have been rescued alive.

The 15-month Israeli offensive killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, with Gaza Health Authorities saying more than half of those killed were women and children.

The fighting has displaced about 90 percent of Gaza's population and devastated the territory's infrastructure and health system. (AP/AFP/Reuters)