Hamas: No progress to phase two as long as Israel violates phase one of the ceasefire
The Hamas Movement stressed on Tuesday that Zionist regime must be compelled to fully implement its obligations under phase one of the ceasefire agreement before any discussion can begin regarding phase two.
Husam Badran, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, rejected statements by Chief of General Staff of the Zionist regime’s occupation military, Eyal Zamir, who claimed that the so-called “yellow line” represents Gaza’s “new borders.” Badran said the remarks clearly reveal Israel’s attempt to evade the agreement and impose new facts on the ground.
Badran said all parties overseeing the ceasefire file agree that Zionist regime has not fulfilled any of the commitments required under phase one. He pointed to the continued closure of the Rafah crossing in both directions, Israel’s obstruction of the entry of tents and caravans designated for displaced families, the reduction of humanitarian aid, and ongoing killings and bombardment inside the enclave.
He added that Zionist regime’s continued demolition of Palestinian homes within what it calls the “yellow line” is a continuation of military operations that were supposed to stop on the first day of the agreement, underscoring that these violations persist without any meaningful compliance.
Badran emphasized that any discussion of arrangements for phase two “depends first on clear pressure from mediators, the United States, and all concerned parties to compel Israel to implement every provision of phase one.” He said phase two “cannot begin while Israel continues to violate the agreement and evade its commitments.”
Two days earlier, Zamir said the “yellow line” separating areas under Hamas’s control from those under Israeli control now represents the “new border” between Israel and the Gaza Strip. He also urged preparations for the possibility of a surprise war.
During a field tour in Gaza, Zamir described the “yellow line” as both a “forward defensive line for settlements and a line of attack,” sending a pointed message to the Israeli government, despite the fact that US president Donald Trump’s plan requires Israel to withdraw from that line in phase two in exchange for the deployment of an international stabilization force.