Hamas expresses readiness for second phase of Gaza ceasefire negotiations
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S Panda - . February 27, 2025
- . Update: February 27, 2025 3:45 pm
Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Thursday that it is ready to start negotiations on the second phase of the existing Gaza ceasefire after the recent release of scores of Palestinians from Israeli jails in return for the bodies of four Israeli hostages.
Talks are yet to begin on a second please, meant to lead ultimately to a permanent end to the brutal fighting that started on October 7, 2023, as hundreds of Hamas militants stormed into Israeli cities, taking 251 people hostages and killing some 1,200 others.
Israel started a retaliatory strike soon after, leading to the death of at least 48,000 Palestinians, according to authorities in the territory. The conflict has unleashed a serious humanitarian crisis and the majority of the population has been displaced multiple times.
Hamas has said that the only path for remaining hostages to be freed is through commitment to the ceasefire. Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen has stressed that returning the hostages is a priority, but that there can be no deal on the second phase if Hamas is left intact in Gaza.
