(27 Feb 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jerusalem – 27 February 2025
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Joe Federman, The Associated Press:
++STARS ON SOUNDBITE++
"Israel and Hamas have barely wrapped up the first phase of their ceasefire agreement, and already a crisis is brewing over whether the truce will continue. Hamas overnight released the remains of four dead Israeli hostages. In exchange, Israel freed over 600 Palestinian prisoners. This was the last such exchange over the current phase of the ceasefire. Over the past six weeks, Hamas has turned over or released 33 hostages. In exchange, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The question now is whether the sides can move into a second phase. This would aim to end the war altogether and release all remaining hostages held in Gaza. Already there are disagreements. Israel has pledged, as part of the ceasefire, to begin pulling out troops away from Gaza’s border with Egypt starting on Saturday. Israeli officials now say they will not carry out this pullback. They say the area is too important. They fear that Hamas will smuggle weapons from Egypt into Gaza through tunnels in the area. Hamas says this is a violation of the deal. It’s very upset. However, the talks have not collapsed. The ceasefire has not collapsed. Hamas says it wants to continue the dialogue. Israel says it is sending a team of negotiators to Cairo, a key mediator. So we’ll see what happens with these efforts in the coming days. Much will depend on the United States. The White House Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff is expected in the region in the coming days. He has made it clear he would like to see this ceasefire continue. He wants to see the sides continue their dialogue, but he has a lot of work ahead of him. He will now have to look for that formula to keep that dialogue going, and find a way to keep the ceasefire in place."
++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
STORYLINE:
Hamas said Thursday it was ready to negotiate the next phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, after a swap overnight in which it handed over what it said were the remains of four hostages in exchange for the release of more than 600 Palestinian detainees held by Israel.
It was the final such exchange the two sides agreed to as part of a truce that’s set to end this weekend.
Negotiations over a second phase, in which Hamas would release dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for more prisoners and a lasting ceasefire, have not yet begun.
"The question now is whether the sides can move into a second phase. This would aim to end the war altogether and release all remaining hostages held in Gaza," said Associated Press journalist Joe Federman.
"Already there are disagreements. Israel has pledged, as part of the ceasefire, to begin pulling out troops away from Gaza’s border with Egypt starting on Saturday. Israeli officials now say they will not carry out this pullback," explained Federman.
Israel’s refusal could spark a crisis with Hamas and key mediator Egypt at a sensitive moment for the fragile truce.
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