Gaza, March 1, 2025: The first phase of the Israel-Hamas truce is set to expire on Saturday, with negotiations for a permanent ceasefire remaining inconclusive. The temporary ceasefire, which began on January 19, 2025, followed more than 15 months of war that erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel—the deadliest in the country’s history.
During the truce, Gaza militants released 25 hostages alive and returned the bodies of eight others, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. The agreement, brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, was designed to lead into a second phase, which aims to secure the release of dozens of remaining hostages.
Despite diplomatic efforts, negotiations remain deadlocked. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a ministerial meeting with security officials on Friday, following the dispatch of an Israeli delegation to Egypt to discuss the next phase. Egyptian officials confirmed that Israeli, Qatari, and US delegations were in Cairo for talks, but as of early Saturday, there was no confirmation of a Hamas delegation’s presence.
Experts suggest that while the second phase of the agreement is unlikely to start immediately, the ceasefire itself may continue. Israel’s preferred approach, according to Defence Minister Israel Katz, is to extend the current truce to facilitate further hostage releases rather than fully transition into phase two. Hamas, meanwhile, has insisted that the second phase must begin as planned and urged international pressure on Israel to ensure its implementation.
In a statement, Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the agreement’s terms and called on the international community to push for an immediate transition into the next phase.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also stressed the importance of maintaining the truce, urging all parties to “spare no effort” to prevent a breakdown.
The truce has allowed for increased humanitarian aid into Gaza, where 69 percent of buildings have been damaged or destroyed, millions have been displaced, and widespread hunger has taken hold, according to the United Nations.
As the ceasefire deadline looms, Gaza and the wider Muslim world are also marking the start of the holy month of Ramadan. In the war-torn city of Khan Yunis, residents hung traditional Ramadan lanterns amid the rubble.
Meanwhile, the Israeli branch of Physicians for Human Rights released a report accusing Israeli authorities of mistreating Gazan healthcare workers in detention, alleging treatment “amounting to torture.” Since the start of the war, over 250 medical professionals have reportedly been detained by Israel.
With negotiations stalled and tensions high, the coming days will determine whether the fragile ceasefire holds or if conflict resumes in the region.
