Gaza ceasefire in limbo as mediators seek to break Israel-Hamas deadlock

14.03.2025 - 12:03 / euronews.com / Trump / Benjamin Netanyahu / Malek Fouda

The ceasefire in Gaza remains in limbo as indirect negotiations in Qatar attempt to secure an extension of the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas.

The first stage of a three-phase deal brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt ended on 1 March, and there is still no clarity on what will happen next since the second phase has not yet been hammered out.

Fighting in Gaza has been halted since mid-January under the first phase, which saw Hamas release 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for more than 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

During that phase, Israel and Hamas were due to discuss the second stage of the truce that called for the two sides to negotiate the return of the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a lasting ceasefire.

However, Israel has demanded that Hamas release more Israeli hostages before negotiations on the second phase begin. The Israeli government has made no mention of releasing more Palestinian prisoners — a key component of the first phase.

Hamas has accused Israel of trying to sabotage the existing agreement by deliberately delaying talks. This week, White House envoy Steve Witkoff travelled to Qatar to mediate indirect negotiations between the two sides, but no concrete progress was made.

Hamas spokesperson Abdullatif Al-Qanou told Euronews that the group had clearly shown its intent to maintain the current ceasefire and be flexible in negotiations.

"We displayed a great deal of flexibility with the efforts of mediators and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff," he said.

"We fully complied with the terms of the first phase," al-Qanou added. "Our only priority right now is to help our struggling population, sheltering them and guaranteeing their safety through a permanent cessation of hostilities."

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced criticism at home for not entering into negotiations on the next stage of the deal. Netanyahu's narrow coalition is beholden to far-right allies who have said they want to destroy Hamas and depopulate Gaza.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has threatened to bring down the government if Netanyahu enters the second phase of the existing deal and does not resume the war.

Earlier this month, Yair Golan, the leader of Israel's centre-left Labour party, accused the government of dragging its feet.

“Israel had signed an agreement that was supposed to begin negotiations for the second phase on day 16 of the first phase. However, Israel has avoided these negotiations," he told Israeli daily Maariv on 2 March.

Hamas has demanded that Israel withdraw its troops from the Philadelphi Corridor — a 14km strip along the border with Egypt — in line with the first phase of the truce.