The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has rejected Israel's proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, urging the international community to pressure the occupying regime to move to the second phase of the agreement as originally planned.  

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem addressed the issue in an interview with Al Araby news channel on Saturday, the day the first phase of the agreement was set to expire. He stated that extending the first phase under Israel's conditions was unacceptable to Hamas, adding that the occupying regime bears full responsibility for the failure to initiate negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire.  

Qassem accused Israel of planning to prolong the first phase to recover the remaining captives while preparing to resume the war on Gaza. He also claimed that the Tel Aviv regime is attempting to evade its commitment to end the war and fully withdraw its forces from Gaza.  

The Hamas spokesperson emphasised that Israel's proposal to extend the first phase aims to "reshuffle the deck and start from scratch." He clarified that no negotiations regarding the second phase are currently underway but stressed that talks must begin to ensure a permanent ceasefire. Qassem called on mediators and guarantor states to compel Israel to adhere to all stages of the agreement and immediately proceed to the second phase without hesitation.  

These statements follow Hamas' reaffirmation of its full commitment to the Gaza ceasefire agreement, underscoring that negotiations are the only way to secure the release of the remaining Israeli captives.  

On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar claimed that the regime was willing to extend the first phase in exchange for the release of more captives, stating that this option would be pursued if feasible.  

Israel launched a large-scale war on Gaza on 7th October 2023, following a historic operation by Hamas in retaliation for escalating Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people. Despite the intensive military campaign, which has killed at least 48,348 Palestinians, mostly women and children, Israel has failed to achieve its stated goals of eliminating Hamas and freeing all captives.  

On 19th January, Israel finally accepted Hamas' long-standing negotiation terms, allowing for a ceasefire in Gaza. According to the three-phase ceasefire agreement, both parties were to hold indirect talks to define the details of future exchanges.  

The second phase was intended to lead to a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces once the release of the remaining captives was completed. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the agreement only guarantees a temporary ceasefire and that the Israeli military reserves "the right to resume fighting" at a later date.