Hamas: No Phase Two Because Israel is Violating Ceasefire

A senior Hamas official said Tuesday that the fragile Gaza ceasefire cannot advance to its second phase as long as Israel continues what the group calls “violations” of the agreement, urging mediators to pressure Jerusalem to fulfill its commitments.

“The second phase cannot begin as long as the occupation continues its violations of the agreement and evades its commitments,” Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badran told AFP. He said the organization had asked mediators to push Israel to “complete the implementation of the first phase,” which has been in effect since the October 10 ceasefire took hold.

Under the structure of the deal, the transition to the second phase is tied to Hamas’ completion of the hostage handover. Hamas continues to hold the body of the final hostage, Ran Gvili, while claiming it cannot locate him. Israel rejects that explanation, stressing that the full handover is a core requirement before the next stage can begin.

The second phase calls for the deployment of an international stabilization force in Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas’ military infrastructure. Neither step can proceed until the hostage component is fulfilled, and diplomats involved in the process have warned that the deadlock has hardened in recent days.

Hamas argues that Israeli actions along the Yellow Line — the forward boundary to which the IDF withdrew at the start of the ceasefire — constitute breaches of the agreement. Israel, however, says it has carried out only limited strikes in response to attacks on its troops stationed along that line. The IDF says several incidents, including explosive devices and small-arms fire, justified defensive retaliation.

The disagreement over what counts as a violation has added strain to the already fragile truce, which was designed to stabilize Gaza, enable humanitarian access and create space for broader negotiations.

International mediators, including the United States, Egypt and Qatar, have been attempting to keep the ceasefire from collapsing while pressing both sides to stick to the phased framework.

With the transition stalled, humanitarian groups warn that prolonged uncertainty could undermine the ceasefire’s viability. Israeli officials maintain that the burden is on Hamas to complete the hostage file. Hamas insists Israel’s actions prevent the process from moving forward.

For now, the second phase remains frozen, with no clear timeline for resumption.