Will it be possible to proceed with the second phase of the ceasefire as agreed to and signed by Israel and Hamas in February? While exchanges of dozens of Israelis held by Hamas in Gaza and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned for years by Israel took place under phase one, Israel has seriously limited promised material supplies from entering Gaza. It is now calling for an extension of phase one’s prisoner exchanges, which expired March 1, rather than proceeding with the second phase of the original ceasefire agreement.

According to The Cradle on Feb. 27, “Israel has made extensive plans to resume its genocidal war on Gaza. …Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Tel Aviv will not withdraw its army from the Philadelphi corridor on the southern Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt, marking a stark violation of the ceasefire agreement signed last month.”

Israel stops all aid trucks

Katz called phase one of the ceasefire agreement “complete.” He also said that Israel only agreed to a deal to return its captives and that it is ready to return to war. Israel then stopped all aid trucks going into Gaza.

The Islamic Resistance Movement of Hamas’ answer to this was that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to avoid the ceasefire agreement, including moving on to its second phase. Hamas stated that preventing humanitarian aid into Gaza is “a cheap act of blackmail, a war crime and a blatant violation of the agreement.” Hamas called Netanyahu “a war criminal,” noting that “he is trying to impose political realities on the ground that his fascist army has failed to establish over fifteen months of brutal genocide, thanks to the steadfastness and courage of our people and their resistance.

“He [Netanyahu] seeks to overturn the signed agreement for his narrow, internal political interests, at the expense of the occupation’s captives in Gaza and their lives.” Hamas added that the only way to recover the remaining Israeli captives will be to continue with the ceasefire agreement as already negotiated.

“We [Hamas] hold the occupation and, behind it, Washington [is] responsible for obstructing the agreement by proposing unacceptable terms.” (Resistance News Network, March 2)

The Government Media Office in Gaza also called on the mediators to pressure Israel to fulfill all aspects of the ceasefire, including allowing humanitarian aid, rescue equipment and machinery into Gaza.

The Popular Resistance Committees stated: “The closure of Gaza’s crossings and the halt in aid entry to our people in Gaza is a new zionist violation of the agreement signed through the mediators and an open declaration of the starvation war that the enemy has been waging for over 17 months. …

Hamas also called for the Palestinian government to prosecute hoarders and traders raising prices of food and that journalists and activists cease the use of zionist news outlets, and combat their false rumors. “We call on the relevant authorities in the Palestinian government in Gaza to take immediate action against these criminals, to impose the harshest penalties on them, confiscate their goods and ban them from doing business.” (RNN, March 2)

The response from Yemeni Senior Ansarallah leader Nasr al-Din Amer, in an interview with Shehab Agency, was as follows: “The zionist enemy must understand that a renewed aggression on Gaza means the full resumption of Yemeni military operations, with occupied Yafa (Israel) and all occupied territories once again coming under strikes from Yemen.” (RNN, March 2)

Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi stated: “We will not accept an extension of the first phase and insist on implementing the agreement in all its stages as it was signed. There is no room for renegotiation; the mediators must compel the occupation to implement the agreement’s terms as signed. … Egypt has repeatedly informed us of its rejection of the displacement plan, to protect its national security and in support of Palestinian rights.” (RNN, March 2)

A very important development also occurred in Jerusalem (occupied Al Quds) in response to Israel’s rejection of the ceasefire. Resistance News Network aired a video of violent confrontations between the Israeli occupation police and Zionist settler demonstrators who tried to breach security barriers near Netanyahu’s residence during an event demanding the completion of the prisoners exchange deal. (March 2)