The second phase ceasefire between Israel and Hamas agreed by both sides under the supervision of a few Arab countries and the US is in serious jeopardy following countless recent airstrikes across the Gaza Strip by Israel’s IDF in cooperation with Shin Bet in which over 400 people were killed. The recent attack was launched at night, when people were asleep. The US had given its go-ahead, as the White House in a statement later said it had full knowledge of the attacks before they were launched. The irony is when the ceasefire had been announced, Trump went out of his way to claim credit for it, though the agreement was reached by the Joe Biden administration. Trump did use his influence to make it clear to Netanyahu that he would not brook any opposition from the latter to the cease-fire plan. However, soon after aids started arriving at the Gaza Strip, Trump unveiled his plan to turn the enclave into a huge real estate hub by completely displacing the Palestinians living there. As key Arab countries joined the Palestinians to oppose the idea of resettling them outside Gaza, the US started hardening its stand. Its approval of the fresh strikes by Israel cast serious doubt on its peace initiatives.
However, this is not the first violation of the ceasefire agreement, which aimed to release Israeli captives in return for an end to the war on Gaza. Reports suggest how Israel has violated the fragile truce before unilaterally resuming the conflict altogether. Since the ceasefire in Gaza went into force on 19 January and until the latest surprise attack, Israel, in sporadic strikes and attacks on the enclave has killed 155 Palestinians.
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Hamas, the terror organization supported by a majority of civilian Gaza residents, had called the attack an “escalation” and a “deliberate sabotage of any opportunity to complete the ceasefire agreement’s implementation”. Gaza’s ceasefire deal was divided into three phases, with the first phase having ended over two weeks ago. Israel and Hamas have so far been unable to agree on a way forward into the second phase, with the Israeli PM being accused of refusing to fully withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza, a key part of the second phase when steps are to be taken to make the ceasefire permanent and secure the release of the remaining 59 Israeli captives, with less than half believed to still be alive. Israel, along with US envoy and mediation leader Steve Witkoff, proposed an extension of the first phase. Witkoff had threatened over the weekend that Hamas would “pay a severe price” if it did not release all captives immediately.
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Reports have indicated that Israel has actively shunned talks to permanently end the war. The US is reported not to be bothered if the war restarts. Israel insists on having more captives released in the first phase which makes complete sense to anyone following the war. The ceasefire agreement states that the first phase would be extended if talks for the second phase begin but does not state anything about captive releases.
After Hamas refused the extension of the first phase of the ceasefire, Israel blocked all humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip 2 March. The blockade was heavily condemned by mediating states Egypt and Qatar, as well as the United Nations, as one of the ceasefire’s key objectives was to increase much-needed flow of aid for the two million Palestinians living in the enclave. The UN and the mediating countries however have not been observed as active players in the efforts to release the remaining hostages.
On 9 March, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen ordered the halt of electricity supplies to Gaza, which affected the entire enclave, but particularly a desalination plant producing drinking water for part of the enclave. Hamas condemned the move, describing it as part of Israel’s “starvation policy”. The world is unable to understand why the Hamas, which attacked a music concert and took innocent Israeli hostages, was incapable to understand these essential needs of the Gazans. Israel was already reportedly sending fewer aid trucks than what was agreed upon in the ceasefire and had at times blocked the entry of temporary shelter, tents and heavy machinery needed to clear rubble.
With the war seemingly back in full force, Israel is now facing unfair criticism over its decision to resume its deadly operations, with the families of Israeli captives saying the government has abandoned them. This has become a live or die situation for the Israelis and a ceasefire is, understandably, unacceptable at this moment. The UN and other nations, especially the citizens of Gaza now have to put pressure on Hamas to become reasonable and eschew the path of terror.
