Hamas Accuses Netanyahu of Undermining Gaza Ceasefire Amid Stalled Negotiations
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Hamas has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deliberately sabotaging the Gaza ceasefire agreement, claiming that the Israeli government is refusing to engage in negotiations for the second phase of the deal, set to conclude on March 1.
While the ceasefire’s second and third phases were agreed upon in principle, negotiations were supposed to take place during the six-week first phase. This initial phase has involved the exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and humanitarian aid deliveries to the war-torn enclave. If finalized, the second phase would see the release of all remaining Israeli captives and establish a permanent ceasefire.
Hamas Alleges Israeli Violations
Basem Naim, a senior Hamas political official, told Al Jazeera on Saturday that Netanyahu’s government is actively trying to derail the agreement.
“These are dirty games from the right-wing government to sabotage and undermine the deal and to send a message of willingness to go back to war,” Naim stated.
He further accused Israel of violating the deal, citing the deaths of over 100 Palestinians during the first phase, insufficient humanitarian aid entering Gaza, and a postponed withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor—a militarized zone dividing Gaza into north and south.
Israeli officials have previously acknowledged these violations in statements to The New York Times, though the Israeli government has officially denied them.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
Despite Israel agreeing to allow 60,000 mobile homes and 200,000 tents into Gaza under the ceasefire terms, this commitment has yet to be fulfilled. With over 90% of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents displaced and vast portions of the enclave reduced to rubble, the humanitarian crisis continues to escalate.
Since launching its military offensive on October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 48,319 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. Additionally, over 13,000 people remain buried under the rubble, presumed dead. The conflict initially erupted after Hamas killed 1,139 people and took approximately 240 hostages in an attack on Israel.
Netanyahu Resists Progress on Ceasefire Deal
Despite international mediation efforts, Netanyahu has maintained that Israel’s war objectives—eliminating Hamas’s military and governing structures—must be fulfilled. His cabinet has yet to determine whether the first phase’s conditions have been met for the transition to the second phase.
While Israeli media reported that Netanyahu has appointed Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to lead the next round of negotiations, political analyst Xavier Abu Eid warns that this move signals Netanyahu’s personal control over the process rather than a broader Israeli state effort.
“This is the pattern we have seen: Israel negotiates with the U.S., then engages with mediators in Doha or Cairo to determine what can be worked out,” Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh noted.
Former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas argued that Netanyahu has no political interest in advancing to phase two, which would require a gradual Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza.
“Phase two will begin with a force reduction on day 42, followed by a withdrawal on day 50,” Pinkas explained. “That would shift the ceasefire from a temporary cessation of hostilities to an official end to the war—something Netanyahu does not want.”
Hamas Open to Relinquishing Gaza Governance
As concerns grow over the ceasefire’s future, Hamas has indicated its willingness to step down from governing Gaza.
“We have said many times, even before October 7, that we are ready to immediately leave the governing position and allow a Palestinian unity government or a technocratic government to take over, based on Palestinian consensus,” Naim said.
He also expressed support for an Egyptian proposal to establish a committee to manage Gaza’s civil affairs in coordination with the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.
With Israel’s leadership resisting a full ceasefire and Hamas signaling readiness for political transition, uncertainty looms over whether negotiations will move forward or if the war will resume.
