UN Calls for Continuation of Ceasefire in Gaza

On Friday, March 1, the UN Secretary-General called for the preservation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and the process of hostage exchange. Antonio Guterres deemed the ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement important, stating, "The coming days are crucial for Gaza and the region. Therefore, this agreement must remain in place." The first phase of this agreement, which ended a 15-month conflict in Gaza, concludes on Saturday morning. Negotiations for the second phase, which were supposed to begin 16 days after the start of the first phase, have been postponed. Max Rodenberg, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, told AFP that "the start of the second phase on Saturday is unlikely," but the ceasefire is also unlikely to collapse. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel prefers to release more hostages as part of the extension of the first phase rather than entering the second phase. The terrorist group Hamas also urged the international community to pressure Israel to enter the second phase. In the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas released 25 live Israeli hostages and handed over the remains of eight others. In return, Israel released approximately 1,700 Palestinian security prisoners. During the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack by Hamas, a group supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1,200 mostly civilian Israelis were killed, and over 250 others, including the elderly, women, and children, were taken hostage to Gaza. Following this terrorist attack, Israel launched an assault on Gaza to destroy Hamas and free all kidnapped hostages. According to Israeli estimates, more than 50 hostages remain captive by the terrorist group Hamas, most of whom have lost their lives. Intensive negotiations regarding the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas are ongoing.