As the first phase of the Gaza peace deal ended on Saturday and discussions on the second phase have yet to gain momentum, concerns are mounting that the hard-earned and fragile peace could be shattered again, impacting over 2 million people in the besieged coastal enclave.
The future for Gazans remains uncertain, as various proposals have emerged over post-war governance and rebuilding yet none has gained broad acceptance. Despite the instability, many residents have expressed their determination to stay. However, they will continue to endure displacement, destruction and uncertainty.
2ND PHASE ELUSIVE
An Israeli delegation proposed in Cairo extending the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire by 42 days, an informed Egyptian security source told Xinhua on Friday.
However, negotiations have yet to address the second phase of the deal, which seeks to end the war in Gaza and secure Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the source added.
In response, Hamas said Saturday that the Israeli proposal of extending the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement is “unacceptable,” adding that the mediators and guarantor countries are required to oblige the occupation to abide by the agreement in its various stages.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said that there were still no negotiations with Hamas regarding the second phase of the agreement, accusing Israel of “evading the commitment to end the war and withdraw completely from Gaza.”
On early Sunday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that Israel has accepted the U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza for the Ramadan and Passover holidays.
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began on Friday and will last until March 30, while the Jewish Passover week will be marked from April 12 to 20.
The statement also stressed that Israel may return to fighting if it believes that the negotiations are ineffective, as the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire-hostages agreement expired on Saturday.
The Israeli think tank Institute for National Security Studies commented, “Israel has not met the war objectives set by the political echelon: It did not fully destroy Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities, and the release of the hostages until now has been only partial.”
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy said the Israeli prime minister sees phase one of the ceasefire as beneficial due to the gradual release of hostages, but views phase two as a trap that would force Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza, limiting its ability to target Hamas.
Analysts told Xinhua that Netanyahu is also under pressure from far-right Cabinet members, who support only the first phase and demand guarantees that Gaza will no longer threaten Israel, or they will leave the coalition. Their opposition has made the government hesitant to advance negotiations.
People welcome a released Palestinian prisoner in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Feb. 27, 2025. Israeli authorities on Thursday began releasing more than 600 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, according to Palestinian sources. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
DISPUTES OVER SOLUTIONS
U.S. President Donald Trump has recently proposed the relocation of Gaza’s Palestinian population to neighboring countries, stating that Gazans who left will not be allowed to return. The proposal has sparked continuous regional and international outcry.
The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies called Trump’s proposals “a mishmash of ideas,” noting that Trump’s proposals “are often seen as an attempt to apply business principles to diplomacy.”
The American public is likely to oppose such a move, as America’s appetite for involvement in overseas conflicts has diminished following the failures in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, it said.
The proposal “is vehemently opposed by all Arab states, as it would force them to act against their own interests,” it added. “If they were to accept it, they would risk undermining the legitimacy and stability of their regimes.”
For Gazans, it’s also unacceptable. “Israel has always aimed to end our existence either through killing or displacement. But we will remain steadfast on our land. Despite the hardship, we will not leave,” Sajida Ayesh, a resident of Saftawi in northern Gaza, told Xinhua.
“We will rebuild what others have destroyed,” the 29-year-old mother of three children added.
Ongoing disputes over Gaza’s future include a proposal by Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid for an eight-year Egyptian administration over Gaza. Egypt has firmly rejected it, with its Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tamim Khalaf calling the proposals “half-solutions” that would only perpetuate cycles of conflict rather than achieving a permanent peace.
“Ending Hamas’ rule … cannot be achieved without a severe military blow, but it also cannot be achieved by a military blow alone. The elimination of Hamas’ rule requires that there be another rule to replace it,” an opinion article published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz said.
Released Palestinian prisoners wave to people on a bus in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Feb. 27, 2025. Israeli authorities on Thursday began releasing more than 600 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, according to Palestinian sources. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
HUMAN COST
Sajida, the Gaza resident, has been through a heartbreaking journey, repeatedly displaced within southern Gaza in search of safety for her family of five. “In the south, we endured the harshest suffering, fear and hunger … The Israeli army’s promise of protection was a lie,” she said.
“I won’t repeat that mistake. Even if they kill us here, we will die on our land,” she added.
According to UN estimates on Feb. 4, over 565,000 people have fled southern Gaza for the north since Jan. 27. However, those who returned found only devastation. A UN report shows that 92 percent of homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed.
As Sajida reached the shores of Gaza City, she paused to watch the calm sea waves. “Sadly, everything has changed. Even the sea, which once reminded us of our dreams, now groans with us,” she said.
While the ceasefire has allowed more humanitarian aid into Gaza, the relief remains insufficient. Over 1,500 water points are now operational, but water supply is only at about a quarter of pre-October 2023 levels. Meanwhile, around 350,000 chronically ill patients are facing critical shortages of medications, and between 12,000 and 14,000 people, including 5,000 children, are in urgent need of medical evacuation, according to UN reports.
A devastating winter storm swept through the Gaza Strip in early February. “With winter well underway, nearly 1 million displaced Palestinians remain in immediate need of assistance,” the United Nations said.
Om Ahmed al-Ramli, a displaced woman in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, struggled desperately to salvage her remaining belongings after the storm ravaged her tent.
“These are not homes; they are just bits of cloth that barely shield us,” she told Xinhua angrily. “Now, even that is gone. The storm took everything, including our last hope.”
