sbet Gaza Ceasefire: Talks On Hold As Phase 1 Nears End; Israeli Tanks Move Into West Bank | What We Know

Gaza Ceasefire: Talks On Hold As Phase 1 Nears End; Israeli Tanks Move Into West Bank| Photo: Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP Gaza Ceasefire: Talks On Hold As Phase 1 Nears End; Israeli Tanks Move Into West Bank| Photo: Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP

With the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire nearing an endsbet, the talks for Phase 2 have been put on hold. Casting uncertainty over the status of the war, Hamas has stated that the talks for the second phase will stay on hold until Israel releases the 620 Palestinian prisoners it was supposed to on Saturday.

As per an Al Jazeera report, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi has said the Palestinian militant group will not engage in any ceasefire discussions until the 620 Palestinians are freed.

Meanwhile, Israeli tanks have been spotted in occupied West Bank for the first time in over 20 years.

Gaza Ceasefire | Latest Developments

The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire is set to end on March 2. Implemented on January 19, 2025, the ceasefire put a pause to almost 15 months of fighting and paved the way for the exchange of 33 hostages and the release of hundreds of Palestinians from Israel.

However, after the exchange of the last six living hostages, Israel has set to release 620 Palestinians it had held in its prisons.

But Israel postponed this release "until further notice" in response to the "humiliating release ceremonies it subjected the hostages to." Hamas has also been criticised by the UN for the release ceremonies.

With this latest bump in the road, Hamas has accused Israel of disrupting the agreement and "playing dirty games."

Meanwhile, Israeli tanks have moved into the occupied West Bank for the first time in over 20 years. As per an official statement from the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, deploying tanks in West Bank shows that Israel is continuing its "genocide, displacement and annexation."

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates warns of the Israeli occupation army’s deployment of heavy tanks around Jenin, viewing it as a prelude to expanding its crimes against the Palestinian people—particularly in the northern West Bank and its refugee camps. This escalation comes as Israeli 'Defense' Minister Israel Katz boasts that the Israeli occupation army will prevent displaced Palestinians from returning to their homes and has ordered an extended military presence in the area. Israeli occupation forces have already forcibly displaced 40,000 Palestinians from refugee camps in the northern West Bank," reads the statement issued by the foreign ministry.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Israel’s Deployment of Tanks Is a Systematic Continuation of #Genocide,plusph #Displacement, and #AnnexationThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates warns of the Israeli occupation army’s deployment of heavy tanks around Jenin, viewing it as a… pic.twitter.com/b8q4MFvL4i

— State of Palestine - MFA 🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@pmofa) February 23, 2025

Furthermore, Human Rights Watch has also called on EU officials to condemn Israel's "crimes against humanity". This demand comes ahead of a meeting between the EU and Israeli officials at the EU-Israel Association Council meeting in Brussels.

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"There can be no business as usual with a government responsible for crimes against humanity, including apartheid, and acts of genocide, and whose sitting prime minister is wanted for atrocity crimes by the International Criminal Court,” stated the EU director at the human rights agency.

Phase two talks began last week, during which Hamas stated it would release all remaining hostages in one go in exchange for a permanent truce and withdrawal of Israel forces.

Long-range strikes have been a hallmark of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, now deep in its third year, often hitting civilian areas. Attacks on the electricity network have knocked out around 70% of Ukraine's energy generation capacity, according to the United Nations, bringing blackouts as winter approaches.

However, with the fragility of the ceasefire agreements and Trump's plan for restricting Gaza (which would result in millions of Palestinians being displaced)sbet, new obstacles are now in the way of a continued ceasefire.