Hamas said Tuesday that the Gaza ceasefire plan cannot move to its second phase while it accuses Israel of ongoing violations, even as an Israeli official announced the Allenby crossing would reopen to allow aid trucks bound for Gaza for the first time since late September. The U.S.-sponsored truce, in effect since Oct. 10, has halted large-scale fighting but remains fragile amid near-daily allegations of breaches by both sides.
Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badran accused Israel of failing to meet commitments under the deal, including reopening the Rafah crossing with Egypt and permitting a significant increase in aid flows into the enclave. The next phase, he said, cannot begin “as long as the occupation continues its violations.”
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Under the agreement, Palestinian militants committed to releasing 48 captives — a mix of living hostages and bodies. Hamas has released 47 so far; Israel says the body of the final captive, Ran Gvili, has yet to be returned and has made its handover a condition for moving forward. In exchange, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and repatriated the bodies of hundreds of Palestinians. The first phase of the truce also stipulates a major expansion of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
In a separate development, an Israeli official said the Allenby crossing — on the Israeli-controlled border between Jordan and the occupied West Bank — would reopen Wednesday for aid shipments destined for Gaza “under escort and security, following a thorough security inspection.” Israel closed the crossing, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, after a Jordanian truck driver shot dead an Israeli soldier and a reserve officer there in September. It mostly reopened to travelers a few days later, but aid to Gaza remained blocked as the territory reeled from more than two years of war.
Disagreement is also mounting over Israel’s military posture inside Gaza. As part of the initial truce steps, Israeli troops pulled back to positions behind a demarcation known as the “Yellow Line,” though Israel retains control of more than half the territory, according to the terms described by both sides. Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, was quoted Sunday calling the line the “new border line.” Badran criticized the comment, saying it showed Israel was not committed to the ceasefire agreement.
The second phase, as outlined by mediators, centers on disarming Hamas, further Israeli withdrawals as a transitional authority is set up, and deploying an international stabilization force. Hamas has said it is prepared to hand over weapons to the government of a future Palestinian state if the Israeli occupation ends. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he expects the next phase to begin soon, a timeline Hamas disputes without changes on the ground.
The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel that killed 1,221 people. Israel’s subsequent campaign in Gaza has killed at least 70,366 people, according to the territory’s health ministry, figures the United Nations considers reliable. Since the ceasefire took effect, the ministry says 377 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli actions; Israel’s military says three soldiers were killed over the same period.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
