Palestinians inspect damaged and destroyed buildings after they were targeted by Israeli strikes the previous night following warnings to evacuate in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip. AFP
Hamas stated that it and other Palestinian factions had engaged with mediators' proposals for implementing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement "responsibly and positively" and through "national consensus," stressing that their approach was motivated by the need to protect Palestinians, address humanitarian needs, and safeguard national rights.
The resistance movement said that "the fundamental prerequisite and the first step" towards implementing the agreement and establishing a timetable for its next phase constitutes Israel's commitment to “ending the killing" and ceasing its war on the strip.
Hamas also stressed that implementation of the second phase remains contingent upon Israel fulfilling all of its obligations under the first phase of the October ceasefire agreement, brokered by Cairo, Doha, Ankara, and Washington.
The statement comes a day after US President Donald Trump announced that Hamas had agreed to a roadmap for the phased disarmament of Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza, gradual Israeli military withdrawal, and the transfer of governance to the NCAG.
While Trump described the agreement as a historic breakthrough, Hamas sought to clarify that its acceptance of heavy weapons within the framework of the agreement is subject to a series of political and security conditions.
The movement also linked implementation to "guaranteeing the right to self-determination, establishing the independent Palestinian state, and protecting citizens' rights."
The statement reinforces remarks made earlier on Friday by senior Hamas official and negotiator Ghazi Hamad, who said implementation of the agreement depends on Israel carrying out its commitments under the first phase of the ceasefire, including ending military operations, withdrawing its forces from Gaza and allowing the entry of the NCAG and international forces.
Hamas also said Israel would play no role in the disarmament process, which would be overseen by a Palestinian national committee.
Since October 2023, the Israeli occupation forces have killed at least 73, 341 Palestinians and wounded 174,086 others, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Additionally, nearly 10,000 Palestinians remain missing beneath the rubble.
Around 1.9 million people, roughly 90 percent of Gaza's population, remain displaced.
A joint assessment by the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN), and the World Bank (WB), published in April, estimated that Israel’s war on Gaza has caused $35.2 billion in damage to the strip’s physical infrastructure, with the housing sector accounting for more than half of the total at $18 billion.
Between October 2025 and late January 2026, Israel continued its genocidal war, violating the October ceasefire hundreds of times, with estimates ranging from 730 to over 1,450 recorded violations by early 2026 through air attacks, artillery raids, shootings, and demolition operations inside Gaza.
Since the start of the ceasefire 10 months ago, daily Israeli bombing of the strip has killed nearly 1,300 Palestinians and injured hundreds more.
Moreover, Israel has continued to impose restrictions on the entry of life-saving food and medicine at adequate levels to a population that faced the first-ever famine in Middle East history at the height of the genocidal war.
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