فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
On Thursday, Hamas announced its readiness to respect the truce agreement in the Gaza Strip, provided that Israel also commits to it. This comes as mediating countries work to remove obstacles surrounding the release of hostages scheduled for Saturday, which threatens the continuation of the ceasefire.
Egyptian channel Extra News reported that Egypt and Qatar have succeeded in “overcoming obstacles,” and that both sides are now committed to fully implementing the agreement. Earlier, Hamas had confirmed that it was “ready” to respect the agreement and demanded that Israel fully comply with it.
The truce has faced a tough test in recent days, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning on Tuesday that fighting could resume if the hostages held in Gaza are not released by Saturday. Netanyahu’s statements echoed threats made by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who said that “hell” would break loose if Hamas did not release “all” Israeli hostages by Saturday.
Hamas accused Israel of several violations of the truce agreement, including obstructing the entry of humanitarian aid into the devastated territory. On Thursday, footage from AFP showed dozens of bulldozers and trucks loaded with prefabricated housing units waiting at the Rafah crossing to enter Gaza from Egypt. However, Israel confirmed that no “heavy equipment” is allowed through this crossing, which is reserved for medical evacuations under the ceasefire agreement, while humanitarian aid is transported through the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza.
The truce, which began on January 19 for an initial period of 42 days, came into effect after 15 months of war and five hostage exchanges for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. However, the future remains uncertain, as negotiations on the second phase of the agreement, which is set to take effect in early March, have not yet begun.
Palestinian sources reported “progress” in the negotiations on Thursday, with one source confirming that mediators had obtained an “Israeli promise to implement the provisions of the humanitarian protocol” of the agreement starting Thursday. If this promise is confirmed, “prefabricated housing units, tents, fuel, heavy equipment, medicines, and hospital renovation materials” will begin to be transported into the Gaza Strip.
Amid the massive destruction in the territory, Gaza residents expressed hope for the continuation of the truce. Abdul-Nasser Abu al-Omrain told AFP, “In my opinion, the war will not resume, because no one has an interest in that,” considering Hamas’ threats as merely a “maneuver to pressure Israel to allow the entry of aid, fuel, and tents.”
He added, “Things will move in the right direction again, and the Israeli hostages will be released.” Hundreds of thousands of displaced people have already returned to the northern part of the territory, the most densely populated area before the war and the site of the fiercest battles, only to find their homes destroyed.
However, Abu al-Omrain described the situation as an “unbearable hell,” saying, “We cannot live here given the extent of the destruction.”
In a related context, Donald Trump sparked international outrage last week, particularly in Arab countries, when he announced a plan to place Gaza under U.S. control and relocate its 2.4 million residents to Egypt or Jordan to rebuild the territory. Hamas called for “solidarity marches” around the world at the end of the week to protest this plan, which was welcomed by Israel.
Since the truce began, 16 Israeli hostages and 765 Palestinian prisoners have been released, out of a total of 33 hostages and 1,900 prisoners scheduled to be released by early March. On February 8, the circumstances surrounding the release of three emaciated hostages, who were forced to salute the crowd in a staged scene orchestrated by Hamas, angered Israel.
On Thursday morning, between 30 and 40 people blocked the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, holding banners demanding the release of all hostages. Of the 251 people abducted during Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, 73 hostages remain in Gaza, including at least 35 who have died, according to the Israeli military.
The second phase of the truce is expected to allow for the release of all hostages and a definitive end to the war, before the final phase dedicated to the reconstruction of Gaza, which the UN estimates will cost more than $53 billion.
Hamas’ attack resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to AFP figures based on official Israeli data. Meanwhile, Israeli retaliatory strikes on Gaza have killed at least 48,222 people, mostly civilians, according to data from Gaza’s Health Ministry, which the UN considers reliable.
