The Hamas publishes the new Geisel video as a Gaza ceasefire that runs – DW – 03/01/2025

The Palestinian militant group Hamas published video material on Saturday, in which several Israeli hostages take place in Gaza.

The video was published as the first phase of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, which came into force on January 19, on Saturday until the end of the year.

The two sides do not agree on the next steps in the ceasefire. Israel wants more hostages to be published under an expansion of the first phase. But Hamas urges the beginning of the second phase, which would pave the way for a permanent end of the war.

According to the conditions of the agreement, the fights in Gaza should remain suspended as long as both sides continue the negotiations for a second phase.

The Israeli negotiators were in Cairo this week to discuss the ceasefire with Egyptian, Qatarian and US mediators after visiting Hamas officers last week.

What did the new videos from Hamas show?

The new film material of the hostages shows that the Iasraeli brothers Iair and Eisan Horn hug. The faces of the apparently other hostages are blurred.

The video was probably recorded before February 15 when the Hamas Iair Horn published in a hostage catcher with Israel.

“I am very happy that my brother will be released tomorrow, but this is in no way logical to separate families,” said Eisan in the film material.

“Sign the second and third phase,” he says, referring to the next phases of the ceasefire. “Enough war.”

The video, which was not verified independently, was published with the message in the telegram: “Only a ceasefire agreement brings it alive again.”

In response to the video, Israel said “it would not be deterred by the Hamas propaganda” and “continue to act tirelessly to” bring all hostages and “to achieve all of Israel's war goals”.

How do Israel and Hamas want to continue the ceasefire?

Israel is looking for a 42-day expansion of the first phase, but Hamas is pushing the beginning of the second phase to permanently end the Gaza Strip.

Hazem Qassem, spokesman for Hamas, said on Saturday that the group had rejected the “wording” of Israel to expand the first phase.

He asked mediators to “commit the occupation [referring to Israel] to comply with the agreement in their different phases. “

In a separate explanation, the militant group said that it was ready to “complete the remaining phases of the ceasefire contract, which leads to a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, the full retreat of the crew from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction and cancellation of the siege.”

The ceasefire took place after 15 months of bombing, in which more than 60% of the buildings of Gazas were destroyed in an Israeli military surgery, which was launched on October 7, 2023 for an attack by the militant organization of the militant organization in Gaza.

In this attack, around 1,200 people were killed and 250 brought to Gaza as hostages. The resulting Israeli army surgery killed around 48,000 people in Gaza.

Hamas says 'no progress' in negotiations

“At this fragile moment, we have to avoid resumption of hostilities that deepen the suffering and further destabilize a region that is already sitting on the edge of a knife,” said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday in an X post.

The UN said that the ceasefire had approved the flow of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, which has experienced widespread destruction and famine due to the war.

Two Israeli officials said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should hold consultations with security chiefs and ministers after her return from Cairo.

A Hamas officer was quoted by the Associated Press that there was “no progress” before the Israeli negotiators returned home, and he “had no idea” if the negotiations could be resumed.

In the first phase of the ceasefire, 33 Israeli hostages were released by Hamas and around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners were freed by Israel.

“A ceasefire has to take place yesterday,” says Sanam Vakil, Analyst Sanam Vakil, to DW

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Published by: Louis Oelofse and Alex Berry