There are widespread fears in Gaza that the ceasefire deal could collapse following Trump’s comments and Israel’s actions in Gaza [Getty]
There are growing fears that the Gaza ceasefire deal will collapse after Hamas announced they are postponing the next release of captives over Israel violating the truce terms as well as Trump’s plan to expel Palestinians from Gaza.
A spokesperson from Hamas’ military wing said the amount of aid reaching Gaza is far less than what the truce terms stipulated, while the number of wounded Palestinians allowed to evacuate out of Gaza daily also falls under what the deal states, and Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli fire despite a ceasefire being in place.
Numerous aid groups, including the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) have noted that the aid coming into Gaza falls far below the current needs in the Strip, particularly essential items such as materials for shelter amid a biting winter.
A senior official from Hamas said Israel has been delaying negotiations for the second phase of the deal, which was set to start last week.
Two Egyptian security confirmed there are serious fears over the breakdown of the deal, adding there are no US guarantees for it, Reuters reported.
US President Donald Trump responded to Hamas by stating “hell will break loose” if the captives were not released by Saturday, saying he thinks the ceasefire deal should be cancelled if they are not freed.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri doubled down on his comments on Tuesday, saying: “Trump must remember that there is an agreement that must be respected by both parties, and this is the only way to bring back the prisoners. The language of threats has no value and only complicates matters.”
While some far-right Israeli politicians, including extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have praised Trump’s call for cancelling the ceasefire, widespread protests have broken out in Tel Aviv accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sabotaging the deal.
The protesters blocked the Ayalon Highway on Monday evening, urging the Israeli government to follow through with the deal.
An Israeli kibbutz on Tuesday also announced the death of an elderly Israeli captive in Gaza, identifying him as Shlomo Mansour. The Israeli military confirmed the death in a statement, saying: “The decision to confirm his death was based on intelligence gathered in recent months.”
Since the start of the ceasefire deal, 21 Israelis have been freed from Gaza and over 730 Palestinians from Israeli prisons.
Trump’s comments
The region is still reeling from Trump’s comments last week, when he said he wants the US to “own Gaza” and see Palestinians displaced from the Strip to make it a “riviera of the Middle East”. Since then, Israeli officials have floated the idea of transferring the Palestinian population to Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington on Monday, where he again stated Cairo’s rejection of Trump’s plans.
This comes after Trump said he would “conceivably withhold aid” from Jordan and Egypt if they don’t go along with his plan to displace Palestinians.
The latest developments have left Palestinians in Gaza deeply afraid that the war could re-start soon if the agreement collapses.
Many have already started stocking up on essentials, while others are still sleeping out in the open amidst a harsh winter storm, Al Jazeera reported.
On Monday evening, Israeli drones returned to the skies in Gaza, further fuelling concerns in the enclave, as people are still searching for their loved ones or try to bury their dead.
West Bank offensive
Meanwhile, Israel continued its assault on the occupied West Bank city of Jenin for the 22nd consecutive day, with at least 25 killed and dozens more wounded.
Israeli forces on Tuesday stormed the east of the city, with bulldozers tearing down key infrastructure and damaging streets, vehicles, and homes, the Wafa news agency reported.
Jenin’s assistant governor, Mansour al-Saadi, issued a statement saying at least 20,000 people have been forcibly displaced from Jenin camp since the assault started.
Palestinian officials have said the city’s economy has also taken a major hit as shops and markets have been closed, and much of the city has been closed since the start of the offensive.
The Jenin Governmental Hospital also remains under siege, with the main street leading to it destroyed.
Israeli forces have simultaneously launched an offensive on the city of Tulkarem for the 16th consecutive day, triggering a humanitarian crisis in the area as people lack access to medicine and food, while communication services are disrupted.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 61,709 Palestinians since 7 October 2023 while 14,222 are believed to be still trapped under the rubble. At least 884 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank in the same time frame, the Palestinian health ministry and government media office reported.
