The first phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas ends on Saturday with no certainty over the second phase as the talks about that are still underway in Egypt. The first phase began on January 19 as the fighting between Israel and Hamas paused and 33 Israeli hostages were released in exchange for approximately 1,9000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The second phase would include the release of all remaining living hostages including male soldiers, and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza, former US president Joe Biden had said when he announced the deal.
In the third phase, there would be a major reconstruction of Gaza. US President Donald Trump said he would take over Gaza for its rebuilding without wasting American taxpayers’ money and without sending the US Army there. But there has been no word on the second phase of the truce deal yet.
So, what happens next?
According to experts, the ceasefire won’t collapse but neither would phase two of the truce deal start. “One thing we can expect is that phase two won’t start tomorrow, but I think the ceasefire probably won’t collapse also,” Max Rodendeck, an analyst for the International Crisis Group, told AFP.
What does Israel want?
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday sent a delegation to Egypt which is mediating the talks “to take forward negotiations”. Israel wants to free more hostages with an extension of the first phase of the deal instead of a second phase, defense minister Israel Katz said.
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack, 58 hostages remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
What does Hamas want?
Hamas does not want to extend the first phase. They said they are prepared to release all remaining hostages in a single swap during the second phase,
Will Israel withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor?
According to the agreed truce, Israel is supposed to begin withdrawing troops from the border area, known as the Philadelphi corridor, on Sunday and leave it completely by the following weekend. If Israel now does not leave the corridor, it would be seen as a major violation of the truce.