Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attempted to pre-empt the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and captives-for-prisoners swap deal in recent weeks.
The deal stipulated that negotiations on the second phase should have begun on day 16 of the first phase. However, Israel has deliberately obstructed second phase negotiations for about four weeks.
As the first phase of the deal was approaching its end, Netanyahu suspended the release of the seventh batch of Palestinian prisoners on February 23 for multiple days.
The head of the Israeli government used what he called “Hamas’s humiliating ceremonies” while releasing Israeli captives in the Gaza strip as a pretext for the suspension.
However, analysts suggested that Netanyahu only resorted to that claim in order to extend the first phase of the deal and therefore secure the release of more Israel captives before moving to the next phases.
After the intervention of mediators and guarantors of the deal, namely Qatar and Egypt, Hamas did consider the cancellation of the ceremonies, in order to undermine Netanyahu’s plans to sabotage the deal. As a result, the seventh and final batch of Palestinian prisoners was released late Thursday, February 27.
Backed by the US, Netanyahu bans humanitarian aid as a tool of war
Left in the lurch by Hamas’ flexibility, Netanyahu ordered the closure of all crossings into Gaza, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid and supplies into the war-torn besieged enclave on Sunday, March 2. His order came one day after the first phase of the deal had elapsed.
On Monday, March 3, Netanyahu warned that Israel might return to war with Gaza if Hamas did not return Israeli captives held in the Gaza strip.
Addressing Hamas, while speaking to the Israeli Parliament, Netanyahu said: “there will be consequences that you cannot imagine” if Israeli captives were not released.
The threats from the head of the Israeli government came days after a proposal was put forward by Trump’s “Middle East” envoy Steve Witkoff, for a temporary ceasefire during the Muslim’s holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover.
Witkoff represented the proposal as an in-between phase, which stipulated that half of the remaining Israeli captives in Gaza, both living and deceased, would be freed on the first day of the proposed phase.
Netanyahu agreed to the proposal as it appeared to align with his plans, but Hamas categorically rejected it, saying it bypasses previously signed agreements.
The Israeli Prime Minister threatened to resume the war and banned humanitarian aid into Gaza just before the Emergency Arab Summit on Gaza was held in Egypt on Tuesday, March 4. The summit aims to put forward a unanimous proposal for ruling and reconstructing post-war Gaza, without displacing Palestinians.
Analysts suggest that Netanyahu has recently increased pressure on Hamas in an attempt to force concessions, such as accepting demilitarization and Trump’s reconstruction plan for Gaza, which primarily aims to displace Palestinians.
Trump’s administration has been fueling Netanyahu’s bravado while sabotaging the ceasefire deal, not only by providing diplomatic cover but also by sending further military aid to Israel.
The US announced on Saturday that it will expedite the delivery of approximately USD 4 billion in military assistance to Israel. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that nearly USD 12 billion in major foreign military sales to Israel were approved since Trump took over in January.
Rubio reaffirmed that the US “will continue to use all available tools to fulfill America’s long-standing commitment to Israel’s security, including means to counter security threats.”
Hamas documents 962 Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement
In a televised speech, Senior Hamas leader Osama Hamdan described Netanyahu’s ban of humanitarian aid into Gaza and threats to return to war as “cheap blackmail” which aims to avoid starting negotiations for the second phase.
“Israel is pushing to return matters to ‘square one’ by proposing alternatives to the Gaza ceasefire agreement such as extending the first phase of the deal,” Hamdan stated.
The senior official listed 962 violations of the Gaza ceasefire and captives-for-prisoners swap deal committed by Israel during the first phase of the deal.
Military advances
According to Hamdan, the violations included almost daily advances beyond agreed-upon withdrawal lines, gunfire, killings of civilians, home demolitions, land bulldozing, and preventing displaced persons from returning for two full days. These violations resulted in killing 116 Palestinians and injuring 490 others.
Blocking humanitarian relief
Israel has resumed its wartime policy of blocking crucial humanitarian aid and relief trucks. While the agreement stipulated the entry of 50 fuel trucks daily, instead, an average of 23 trucks per day were allowed to enter throughout 42 days.
Obstructing infrastructure recovery and reconstruction
Palestinians in Gaza are in urgent need of dwelling amidst the mass destruction inflicted by Israel across the besieged strip. Yet only 15 mobile homes “out of the 60,000 agreed upon, were allowed to enter in addition to a limited number of tents.”
Israel has also prevented the entry of heavy machinery necessary “for clearing rubble and recovering bodies. While at least 500 machines are needed to accomplish the mission, only nine machines were allowed in.
The senior Palestinian official added that Israel banned the commercial sector from importing fuel of all types, “despite an explicit provision in the agreement permitting this.”
Construction materials needed for infrastructure rehabilitation and hospital restoration and essential medical equipment to rehabilitate hospitals, were blocked from entering Gaza. Moreover, civil defense equipment has been among the banned items.
Operation of the power plant and the entry of necessary supplies for its rehabilitation, were also prevented. Even the entry of cash liquidity into banks has been blocked, and the exchange of damaged currency notes has been refused.
Targeting fishermen and airspace violations
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) prevented Palestinian fishermen from returning to the sea, shooting at them, and arresting some. The IOF’s aircrafts and drones operated during prohibited hours (10–12 hours daily), with 210 violations recorded.
Delaying prisoner releases
The deliberate delay in releasing Palestinian prisoners in the first phase, along with their humiliation and mistreatment, was also included in the list of violations.
Stalling negotiations
Hamdan emphasized that the deliberate delay in starting the negotiations of phase two, is a major political violation of the deal. He blamed the mediators and guarantors of the deal for the delay, saying that they “bear full responsibility for preventing Netanyahu from sabotaging all the efforts made to reach the agreement and for protecting the agreement from collapse.”
Regional and global implications
The senior Hamas leader pointed out that “international security and stability are now at risk in light of absolute US support for the Zionist entity and the international silence that remains unmoved” by Israel’s “lawlessness”.
“Israel threatens to resume the genocidal war against our people, escalates its aggression in the West Bank, continues its aggression on Lebanon, and wages a brutal attack on Syria as well. The consequences of this will not be limited to our people and our nation,” Hamdan warned.
In a message to Netanyahu that the movement will never accept his demilitarization plans, Hamdan concluded his speech using a phrase usually used by Abu Obaida, the military spokesperson of Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. Hamdan declared: “It is jihad of victory or martyrdom.”
