Hamas has urged the international community to intensify pressure on Israel, saying ceasefire progress is impossible while Israeli forces continue to violate the agreement.
Gaza authorities report that the truce, in effect since October, has been breached at least 738 times.
Husam Badran, a Hamas official, said mediators must ensure Israel fulfills its obligations.
“The next phase cannot begin as long as the [Israeli] occupation continues its violations of the agreement and evades its commitments,” Badran said.
He added, “Hamas has asked the mediators to pressure the occupation to complete the implementation of the first phase.”
The first phase of the truce centers on the exchange of captives held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, alongside a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
However, key issues, such as Gaza’s future governance, the possible deployment of an international stabilisation force, and the formation of a proposed “board of peace”, remain unresolved.
Despite the ceasefire, Israeli attacks have persisted. Gaza’s Ministry of Health says 377 people have been killed and 987 wounded since the truce began.
Broader casualty figures since October 2023 stand at 70,366 Palestinians killed and 171,064 wounded, while Israel reports 1,139 deaths and more than 200 captives taken during the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack.
A United States official said talks on the next phase are advancing, though major challenges remain.
Washington expects the first deployment of an international stabilisation force in early 2026, with discussions ongoing regarding contributing countries, command structure, and rules of engagement, reports Al Jazeera.
The official also noted that former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has been removed from the envisioned “board of peace”, a US-backed panel intended to oversee Gaza’s redevelopment.
The ceasefire plan endorsed by the UN Security Council requires Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas’s disarmament.
Discussions are under way to establish a locally drawn police force for Gaza. The US has acknowledged growing demands for humanitarian access and says efforts are ongoing to remove barriers to aid delivery.
Meanwhile, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric responded to Israeli Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir’s claim that the “yellow line”—currently marking Israeli-held areas inside Gaza—represents a “new border.”
Israeli forces remain in 58 percent of Gaza, despite the ceasefire stipulation requiring full withdrawal, though without a set timeline.
Fresh Israeli air and artillery strikes were reported in parts of Khan Younis still under Israeli control, while building demolitions continued in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza.
Gaza authorities condemned the actions as “a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and a deliberate undermining of the essence of the ceasefire and the provisions of its attached humanitarian protocol.”
