Israel Refuses Talks On Second Phase, Plans "Tighter Control"; Hamas Remains Committed To The Deal

Since the first phase of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel expired, Gazans hope second phase to start soon. But, the political atmosphere for negotiations appear foggy. Israel also blocked entry of aid trucks to the Strip on the second day of the holy month of Ramadan. The group accused Israel of trying to release more Israelis under its captivity, and then continue the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

“There are no negotiations with the movement regarding the second phase. The occupation bears the responsibility for not starting negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza agreement”, Hazem Qassem, Hamas spokesperson told Al-Arabi TV.

Also Read: Palestine Documentary “No Other Land” Wins Oscar

“The occupation is trying to return things to square one by shuffling the cards,” Qassem said, stressing that ”the formula proposed by the occupation is unacceptable to us”.

Reiterating their commitment in implementing the agreed upon ceasefire deal, Hamas called on the International community to pressure Israel to “immediately proceed to the second phase without any delay or evasion.

The first phase of the deal ended on February 1st. During the period, Israel violated the deal several times. Tel Aviv refused to allow adequate mobile homes and tents into Gaza, causing at least eight children to freeze to death. It also banned the entry of earthmoving equipment needed to remove the rubble from the roads and buildings. More than 80 percentage of Gaza’s infrastructure were reduced to rubble by the occupation force’s relentless bombing campaign.

As per the ceasefire deal, phase two will see the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation force from Gaza Strip, Hamas will release all the remaining captives. During the first phase, Hamas released 33 Israeli captives. Eight among the released are dead. In return, Israel released 1,700 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

Israeli military is planning to remain in Gaza and exert “tighter control” of the strip following the war, according to a plan presented by Israeli authorities to the UN and aid organizations, reported The Guardian. As per the plan, the occupation supplies aid through “tightly managed logistics hubs” to vetted recipients in the Gaza Strip, sources from aid organizations, said the report.

The proposal was presented to the UN and aid groups during meetings with the Israeli military’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). As per the organisation’s representative, the so-called humanitarian hubs, also known as “humanitarian bubbles,” would be gradually expanded and could be operated by private security contractors. The report added that they would be located in areas under full Israeli army control.

As per the reported plan, entry to Gaza will only be allowed through the Israel-controlled Kerem Shalom border crossing, while the southern Rafah crossing with Egypt, the Strip’s only door to the outside world, will be closed forever.

Also Read: Palestinians Counter Trump’s Bizarre Gaza Clip With ‘Gaza Is Ours’ AI-Generated Video

Israel also demanded full disarmament of Hamas’s military wing and demands to maintain its military presence along the Philadelphi Corridor on Gaza’s border with Egypt.

According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, “as far as [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is concerned, there is no second stage” of the deal. The report said that the Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer recently told US special envoy to West Asia Steve Witkoff that Netanyahu’s plan is “to return to intense warfare” and reimplement a “version” of the Generals’ Plan.

COGAT officials presented the plan to the UN and aid agency officials as a total fact, claiming they enjoyed full US support in implementing it, said media report.

At the same time, US announced new arms sales deal for Israel worth nearly $3 billion that includes thousands of 2,000-pound bombs and millions worth of armored bulldozers. In a statement, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said State Secretary Marco Rubio “has determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel of the above defense articles and defense services in the national security interests of the United States, thereby waiving the Congressional review requirements.”

Also Read: Prof AK Ramakrishnan On Hamas-Israel War, West Asia And Indian Democracy

Reportedly, the deal includes $2.04 billion for 35,529 MK 84 heavy bombs and 4,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads, $675.7 million for 201 MK 83 1,000-pound bombs, 4,799 BLU-110A/B 1,000-pound bombs, and 5,000 JDAM guidance kits, and $295 million for D9 Caterpillar bulldozers and related equipment.

This is the second arms package has bee signed off to Israel by Donald Trump administration. Earlier this month, White House approved a $7.4 billion deal, which is labelled to be for munitions, guidance kits, and Hellfire missiles.