Hamas Warns Gaza Ceasefire May Collapse if Israel Continues Violations

Hamas has declared that the Gaza ceasefire plan cannot move into its second phase unless Israel halts its ongoing violations of the agreement. Hossam Badran, a member of Hamas's political bureau, accused Israel of failing to honor the ceasefire deal, emphasizing that Israel was obligated to reopen the Rafah crossing and increase aid deliveries to Gaza under the terms of the first phase of the agreement. Badran called on mediators, led by the United States, to pressure Israel to fully implement the ceasefire terms. The fragile truce, in effect since October 10, halted Israel’s devastating war on Gaza but has been marred by continued Israeli violations. Meanwhile, Israeli officials announced plans to reopen the Allenby crossing on Wednesday to allow aid trucks into Gaza for the first time since late September. The ceasefire's first phase saw Hamas release 48 captives in exchange for Israel freeing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and returning hundreds of Palestinian bodies. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hopes for a swift transition to the second phase have been met with resistance from Hamas, which insists Israel must first end its violations. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that 377 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks since the ceasefire began, adding to the staggering death toll of over 70,366 since the start of the war.