Gaza's Fragile Peace: What's Next for Hostages and Aid?

The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is hanging by a thread. This is because Israel has decided to stop sending humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israel made this decision after Hamas rejected a new proposal to extend the ceasefire without any promises to end the war or withdraw troops. Hamas, on the other hand, accuses Israel of breaking the agreement and using aid as a tool for blackmail. The ceasefire was supposed to happen in three phases. The first phase started on January 19 and lasted 42 days. During this time, Hamas was supposed to release 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and aid for Gaza. However, Hamas released 38 hostages over 39 days, and Israel freed 1, 737 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. This included 120 women and children, some of whom had been convicted of serious crimes. Israel also pulled back its forces to Gaza's border regions. The second phase of the ceasefire was supposed to start on Sunday. It was meant to include a commitment to end the war permanently, the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from Gaza, and the release of all living hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. However, the details of this phase were supposed to be decided during the first phase, and it's unclear if the talks have even started. Israel now wants to extend the first phase for another 42 days. This would allow for more hostage exchanges and the release of more Palestinian prisoners, but without any commitment to end the war permanently. Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said this idea came from President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. However, there has been no confirmation from Witkoff or the Trump administration about this plan. Hamas, however, is seeking negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. They accuse Israel of trying to avoid the agreement and entering into negotiations for the second phase. Hamas has called on mediators to pressure Israel into ending its "punitive and immoral measures. " The international community has slammed Israel's decision to halt aid. Egypt, a mediator in the ceasefire deal, said it "unequivocally rejects the politicization of humanitarian aid and its exploitation as a tool of blackmail. " Qatar also condemned the use of food as a weapon and the starvation of civilians. The UN and aid groups have also expressed concern about Israel's decision. The fate of dozens of Israeli hostages and tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza now remains unclear. Netanyahu is under pressure from far-right ministers of his government to return to war. This prospect may be met with less opposition under the new Trump administration. The families of the hostages have appealed to Trump to finalize a deal and bring all hostages home. Meanwhile, Gaza's population of over 2 million is at risk of losing the little aid it received during the ceasefire. While the overall aid entering Gaza has increased since the ceasefire started, restrictions by Israeli authorities on critical supplies are hindering the humanitarian response. Most of the aid that entered was food and fuel, not nearly enough to meet the people's immense needs. The shaky ceasefire was coupled with Israeli strikes on the north and south of the strip over the weekend, which Palestinian health authorities said killed four people. Through the ceasefire, Israel has continued to fire on Palestinians it says are violating the truce or threatening its troops.