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The war has escalated with deadly airstrikes that have claimed the lives of hundreds of Palestinians, following a complex course of negotiations for renewing the ceasefire, which opened the door to speculations about the collapse of the talks.

A Hamas official confirmed on Wednesday that the movement had not closed the door to negotiations, despite the violent airstrikes launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip since Tuesday, calling on mediators to compel the Israeli state to implement the ceasefire agreement.

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Tahir al-Nounou, media advisor to the head of the Hamas political bureau, told AFP that “Hamas has not closed the door to negotiations, and there is no need for new agreements as there is already an agreement signed by all parties.”

He added, “Hamas demands that the mediators and the international community compel Israel to stop the aggression, implement the ceasefire agreement, and begin the second phase” of the truce that began in January.

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The official emphasized that “we have no conditions, but we demand the immediate cessation of Israeli aggression and the commencement of the second-phase negotiations, which is part of the signed agreement.”

He continued, saying, “We have confirmed to the mediators that if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were serious, an agreement could be reached within hours.” He added, “We have repeatedly confirmed that we are ready to reach an agreement and implement all its provisions, but it is the occupation that procrastinates and obstructs, with the intention of resuming the aggression and the war.”

He noted that “Hamas is in constant communication with the mediators to constrain” Israel and “force it to respect its commitments.”

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Negotiation Details

Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement mediated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, which came into effect on January 19, after 15 months of war triggered by an unprecedented attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

The first phase of the ceasefire lasted six weeks, during which 33 hostages were released, including eight bodies, in exchange for more than 1,800 Palestinian detainees.

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While Israel announced its support for a U.S. proposal to extend the ceasefire until mid-April, Hamas insisted on the need to begin negotiations for the second phase, which should bring a definitive end to the war and allow the military’s withdrawal from Gaza.

To proceed to the second phase, Israel demands the removal of Hamas leadership from Gaza, where the movement has held power since 2007, and the dismantling of its military wing and the surrender of its weapons.

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