Ceasefire in limbo

[Whatsinanamehey]

Israel have refused to move to the second phase of the ceasefire deal and have instead asked for the first phase to be extended. Hamas has refused this request and has insisted that Israel moves to phase two as originally agreed.

In retaliation, Israel has now said they will block all humanitarian aid into Gaza. What happens next? Both for the hostages who need releasing ASAP, and for the ordinary Palestinians including children whose suffering will only increase by this blockage.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9q4w99je78o

There was also an air strike in the north of Gaza with dead and injured reported. The IDF have given no reason for the air strike.

Netanyahu needs war to retain power. The pattern seems to be sign an agreement and never honour it. Israel is currently still violating the ceasefire with Lebanon and have failed to withdraw fully. They've also announced that they will not be leaving parts of Syria.

Why haven't they withdrawn from Lebanon yet? It has been ages since the ceasefire agreement stated they should.

First of all, the IDF argued that they would be unable to withdraw by the original agreed date, so the Americans bullied the Lebanese government to extend it to the last week of February. When that date came they argued that they were going to stay in 5 strategic positions breaching the agreement.

The IDF created as much devastation in southern Lebanon as they did in Gaza (destroying civilian buildings) but were still unable to destroy Hezbollah. So they've used the ceasefire to take positions that they were unable to during the hot War. They've also violated Lebanese airspace 100s of times. Ironically Hezbollah has respected the ceasefire and so far has not responded, leaving it to the Lebanese army but how long that will last no one knows.

I'm not at all surprised. Netanyahu is a war monger. He doesn't want peace. He wants power.

I have read the articles and I am confused. I thought Phase 1 and 2 were agreed on, why is Witkoff and Netanyahu changing the goal posts and the time line @. Have Hamas broken the agreement ? We don't know what the Witkoff outline is as stated in the article (or do we?)

Phase 2 wasn’t fully agreed on

from the guardian seems like witkoff suggest to return more hostages without the need of Israel to abandon Gaza(so extending phase 1) Hamas is opposing to this. Phase 2 was about Israel leaving Gaza and at the same time more hostages being returned

They're changing it because they can. They know nobody will stop them. The negotiated deal was to progress to a permanent ceasefire. The aim here will be to get another time-limited period in which violence and aggression can continue to a lesser extent in Gaza (people are still being killed by the IDF there) and to whatever extent people choose in the West Bank (which has been described as experiencing Gazafication), before returning to full-scale aggression. They know Trump will back them, so they consider themselves untouchable.

You've all lost me. What's the justification for not returning the hostages?

whats the justification for Israel not to abandon Gaza ?

That's not an answer to my question.

There is no justification not to return them. Same for detainees to be released and for Israel to abandon Gaza. As they had agreed that it’d happen in phase2. Why not start phase 2 rather than extend phase 1.

Thanks a million @EasterIssland and @Scirocco for that. So essentially the plan was there and now Israel and USA have decided to change it (which will obvious put the release of the remaining hostages in doubt) for no reason.

Netanyahu is only looking for an excuse to resume full scale military bombing it appears .

From bbc

A Hamas spokesman said blocking supplies to Gaza was "cheap blackmail" and a "coup" on the ceasefire agreement and urged mediators to intervene.
The Palestinian group wants phase two of the deal to go ahead as originally negotiated, with the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
It previously said it would not agree to any extension of phase one without guarantees from US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators that phase two would eventually take place.

What's the difference between Israel and Hamas? One is holding hostages and the other is trying to starve out a population because of their leaders. Absolutely shitty behaviour by both, not in the least bit surprised it's backed by the US. The actions from the Trump administration this last month has really shown us where their moral compass lies.

Agree @Whatsinanamehey . Very true.

Was also thinking about Trump. He has said unequivocally the Gaza will belong to the USA, surely this is also against what many Israelis want (Likud and their manifesto of river Jordan to the sea)? Or is it just Palestinians that they don't want on the land.

And after his little stunt on Friday with Zelensky can Netanyahu expect the same brush off in the future( we know theirs is a false "friendship") when he would like Israel to own the land.

Netanyahu and Trump are two peas in a pod, Netanyahu is just smarter and knows how to play Trump, which doesn't take alot as he just needs an ego boost.

Israel also voted with the US against the UN resolution that condemned Russia. Hypocrites.

Quelle surprise.

Sadly I'm not surprised, I never thought Israel would get to the point of withdrawing completely, they won't leave. So now they will literally try to starve the Palestinian population. Horrific.

The agreed phased ceasefire was a framework which meant all the hostages would have been returned. This delay and re-writing of agreements places their safe return at risk. It also means no humanitarian aid is getting in to Gaza, which is also bad. It also risks destroying any hope of a peaceful solution for the many innocent people in Palestine and Israel who deserve an opportunity for peace and healing.

@scirocco in the first days of Ramadan too.

It seems to me really that between what Netanyahu has been saying and of course now the Trump administration, that they never had ever any intention of going to phase 2.

A low blow with the aid cancellation but all very predictable unfortunately.

Why do you think it’s a false friendship ? Trump loves the power hungry strong men and Netanyahu buttered him up right from the start.

Do you honestly still think this is about the hostages. The ceasefire would have returned all the hostages.

The Israeli people care about the hostages. The government have a bigger plan.