Hamas announces the commencement of discussions regarding the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement

Abdel Latif al-Qanoua, a spokesperson for the resistance group, announced on Tuesday that the initiative would enter its second phase, emphasizing efforts to provide shelter, aid, and reconstruction for the residents of Gaza.

Qanoua accused Tel Aviv of “delaying the adherence to humanitarian protocols outlined in the ceasefire agreement and obstructing its enforcement.”

He emphasized that the provision of shelter and humanitarian aid must be treated with urgency and should not be hindered by any postponements from Israel.

Under the provisions of a three-phase ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, the initial phase commenced on January 19. As part of this arrangement, the two parties are set to engage in indirect negotiations aimed at finalizing the specifics of subsequent exchanges.

In the second phase of the negotiations, it is anticipated that a permanent ceasefire will be established. This will coincide with the comprehensive withdrawal of Israeli forces, aligned with the liberation of the remaining captives.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the current agreement pertains to a temporary ceasefire, affirming that the nation’s military retains “the right to resume hostilities” at a later stage.

In a fourth exchange conducted on Saturday, Hamas freed three Israeli hostages in return for the release of 183 Palestinian detainees from Israeli incarceration facilities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday evening. President Trump has expressed skepticism regarding the durability of the truce in Gaza, stating that he had “no guarantees” it would hold.

The initial six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement, negotiated shortly before Trump’s return to office, has temporarily halted Israel’s 15-month-long conflict, which claimed over 47,500 lives and left the Gaza Strip devastated.