Hamas Says Israel Violated Gaza Ceasefire First Phase, Demands Binding Sharm El-Sheikh Terms

Hamas said on Sunday that Israel did not commit to implementing most of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and continued daily violations, calling for binding the occupation to the first-phase provisions so there is “space for entering into serious dialogue on the issues of the second phase.”

“Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said on Sunday that Israel did not commit to implementing most of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, and continued daily violations”

Al-Jazeera Net

In a statement tied to the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement, Hamas said it met with mediators and Palestinian factions in Cairo “last week” to work on completing implementation of all first-phase provisions, which it said Israel did not adhere to.

Al-Jazeera Net

The dispute is framed against a ceasefire that Hamas and others say is “theoretically in force,” while Israel continues daily violations “by shelling and firing, resulting in martyrs and injuries,” according to Al-Jazeera Net.

Hamas cited Gaza’s Government Information Office figures that Israel committed “2,400 violations of the ceasefire in the Strip during half a year since it came into force on October 10, 2025,” including killings, arrests, blockade, and starvation.

The same Al-Jazeera Net report says the daily Israeli violations led to “the martyrdom of 775 Palestinians and injuries to 2,171,” citing figures from the Gaza Health Ministry.

Hamas also linked the negotiations to U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiative and to the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement’s stated aim “to put an end to humanitarian suffering in the Gaza Strip, the full withdrawal of occupation forces from the strip, and the start of the reconstruction process.”

Hamas also linked the negotiations to U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiative and to the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement’s stated aim “to put an end to humanitarian suffering in the Gaza Strip, the full withdrawal of occupation forces from the strip, and the start of the reconstruction process.”

Negotiations over the next step of the Gaza ceasefire ran into friction in Cairo, where Hamas and the United States met without reaching “tangible progress toward moving to the second phase,” Palestinian sources told Anadolu Agency, as carried by Daily Sabah.

The talks, described as “the first of their kind since the cease-fire took effect in Oct. 2025,” brought together Hamas Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya, Egyptian officials, U.N. envoy Nickolay Mladenov, and U.S. senior adviser Aryeh Lightstone, according to the report.

Chronique de Palestine

One source said the discussions ended with disagreements over key terms, and another characterized a proposal presented during the talks as “unfair,” saying it adopted Israeli demands while overlooking Palestinian interests and humanitarian needs in Gaza.

The Daily Sabah report says the paper “ignored Israel’s commitments under the first phase, of which only a limited portion has been implemented,” and it adds that Hamas and other Palestinian factions objected.

It also states that Hamas had fulfilled its commitments, including “the release of all living Israeli captives and the return of bodies,” while Israel continued military actions, restricted aid deliveries, and blocked the entry of reconstruction materials and heavy equipment needed to clear rubble.

The same outlet reports that the Rafah Crossing remains “nominally open,” but with strict restrictions on the movement of patients and wounded individuals, and it says medical evacuations began on Feb. 2 after Israel’s limited reopening of the Palestinian side of the crossing.

Daily Sabah further says that on average “around 50 people, patients and their companions, leave Gaza daily,” while an estimated “22,000 wounded and sick individuals require treatment abroad,” citing Palestinian crossing authorities.

The report also ties the breakdown to Israeli demands for Hamas disarmament before progress on humanitarian issues or withdrawal from parts of Gaza, and it quotes a source saying “The tone of the US delegation carried implicit threats of resuming the war,” before concluding that the parties left Cairo.

A separate strand of the dispute centers on Hamas’s refusal to disarm, which a policy brief from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies says has “hit a roadblock” and placed the Gaza ceasefire “in jeopardy.”

“Discussions between Hamas and the United States in Cairo ended without tangible progress on advancing the second phase of the Gaza cease-fire agreement, Palestinian sources said Friday”

Daily Sabah

The FDD brief, dated April 17, 2026, argues that “Hamas’s continuing refusal to disarm” is tied to a deadline that “expired last weekend,” and it frames Hamas’s position as distinguishing between “disarmament” and “handing over weapons.”

It says Hamas insists that “any transfer of materiel be handled by a neutral party,” with “additional guarantees to preserve the weaponry against future Israeli attacks,” and it describes a senior Hamas official accusing Mladenov of bias by asserting that his framework “aligns with Israel’s position by conditioning reconstruction on disarmament.”

The brief also claims that Hamas’s actions on the ground are consistent with its rhetoric, citing “at least nine instances since April 1” in which Israel struck Hamas or other terrorists “either planning or aiding attacks on IDF troops in Gaza.”

In contrast to the FDD framing, Al-Jazeera Net reports Hamas calling for binding the occupation to first-phase provisions and for “continuing communication and ongoing coordination with the mediators” to achieve an acceptable agreement.

Daily Sabah similarly reports that Hamas and other factions rejected proposals as “unacceptable,” insisting that Israel must first fulfill its commitments under the first phase before moving forward.

Le Monde’s account also reflects Hamas’s insistence on obligations, quoting Bassem Naïm saying talks should “obligate” Israel to respect provisions of the truce regarding “the entry of aid, the opening of the Rafah border crossing in both directions, and the entry of all materials needed for reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure.”

Across these accounts, disarmament appears as a central obstacle, with Hamas pressing for compliance with first-phase commitments while the FDD brief emphasizes that disarmament is the condition it says Hamas refuses.

The same ceasefire period is described with sharply different emphases across the outlets in this set, particularly around violations, casualties, and what the next phase should accomplish.

Al-Jazeera Net says Gaza’s Government Information Office announced “2,400 violations of the ceasefire in the Strip during half a year since it came into force on October 10, 2025,” and it ties those violations to “the martyrdom of 775 Palestinians and injuries to 2,171,” while also stating that Israel continues daily violations “by shelling and firing.”

NPA

Daily Sabah, citing Palestinian sources, says that since the ceasefire came into effect on Oct. 10, Israel has reportedly failed to meet key obligations and that “Daily violations have resulted in the deaths of 766 Palestinians and injuries to 2,147 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.”

Le Monde reports that the Gaza health ministry, under Hamas, said on Thursday that “at least 395 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire took effect,” and it adds that “Three Israeli soldiers have also been killed in the territory since the truce.”

The Le Monde piece also brings in WHO figures, quoting Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on X that “1,092 patients died between July 2024 and November 28, 2025 while awaiting a medical evacuation,” and it says WHO and its partners have evacuated “more than 10,600 patients” including “more than 5,600 children requiring intensive care.”

Meanwhile, the Local Western outlet Chronique de Palestine frames the entire process as a “new form of genocide,” arguing that Phase 2 offers “little hope” and that Israel has established a “de facto status quo on the ground in Gaza.”

That outlet quotes Steve Witkoff saying Phase 2 would involve “the complete demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza,” while it says Israel opposed moving to a second phase that would include “a larger Israeli withdrawal” and “the start of reconstruction.”

Even the FDD policy brief, though it is not a casualty report, frames the ceasefire through military activity, stating that “there have been at least nine instances since April 1” of Israeli strikes against Hamas or other terrorists.

As talks are expected to move to Florida, Hamas is pressing for a mechanism that would force Israel to stop what it calls “violations” and to comply with specific provisions tied to aid and reconstruction.

“Hamas hopes that discussions scheduled for Friday, December 19 in Florida will allow an end to the Israeli 'violations' in the Gaza Strip, where a fragile ceasefire has been in place since October, according to a senior official of the Palestinian movement”

Le Monde.fr

Le Monde reports that Hamas hopes discussions scheduled for Friday, December 19 in Florida will allow an end to the Israeli “violations” in the Gaza Strip, where a fragile ceasefire has been in place since October, and it quotes Bassem Naïm saying, “Our people expect from these talks that the participants agree to put an end to Israeli excesses and to stop all violations.”

Al-Jazeera Net

The same Le Monde account says American envoy Steve Witkoff is to meet in Miami with representatives from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, and it describes Qatar and Egypt as mediators and guarantors of the ceasefire.

It also quotes Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, saying there are daily contacts with the various parties to achieve a “rapid implementation” of the second phase, while stressing that until then the international community must “exert real and effective pressure to stop all violations of the ceasefire that occur daily.”

Le Monde further says Bassem Naïm hopes the talks will “obligate” Israel to respect provisions of the truce regarding “the entry of aid, the opening of the Rafah border crossing in both directions, and the entry of all materials needed for reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure.”

The report also states that the ceasefire went into effect on October 10 between Israel and Hamas and remains precarious, with both sides accusing each other of violating its terms, while the humanitarian situation remains critical.

It adds that Israel still awaits the return of the last hostage body held in Gaza before starting negotiations on the second phase of the agreement.

In parallel, Chronique de Palestine says the U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff described Phase 2 as “the complete demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza,” while it argues that Israel opposed moving to a second phase that would include “the start of reconstruction” and the transfer of control of Gaza’s institutions to a provisional authority.