The Second Phase of the Gaza Agreement… Hamas Announces the Start of Negotiations
The Hamas movement has announced the beginning of the second phase of negotiations for a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip between Palestinian factions and Israel.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the movement’s spokesperson, Abdel Latif Al-Qanou, said: “The contacts and negotiations for the second phase have begun, and we are currently focused on shelter, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction for our people in the Gaza Strip.”
This announcement coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States on Tuesday, making him the first foreign leader to be received by Republican President Donald Trump after his inauguration.
Since his return to the White House, Trump has proposed “cleansing” Gaza and relocating Palestinians to “safer places” such as Egypt or Jordan, a suggestion that has sparked widespread Arab and international opposition.
Before departing for the United States, Netanyahu announced that he would discuss with Trump on Tuesday “the victory over Hamas, the return of all our hostages, and combating the Iranian axis in all its dimensions.”
He added: “I believe that by working closely with President Trump, we will be able to further and better reshape the map of the Middle East.”
“No Guarantees”
On Monday, the U.S. president stated that there were “no guarantees” that the current ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas would hold.
However, the U.S. president’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Whitcoff, who was sitting next to Trump during a White House press conference, quickly added that the truce “is still holding for now, and we therefore certainly hope (…) to secure the release of hostages, save lives, and hopefully reach a peaceful resolution of the situation as a whole.”
After 15 months of war in Gaza, a ceasefire agreement came into effect on January 19, but Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating its terms.
The second phase of the Gaza ceasefire is expected to lead to the release of the remaining living hostages held in the enclave and the end of the war that broke out following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
In this context, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office announced on Tuesday that Israel would send a delegation to Qatar “at the end of the week” to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
