Hamas and Israel have just carried out the final hostage and prisoner exchange before the first phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip expires, amid continuing military operations there.
Different stances
On the morning of February 27, Hamas handed over the bodies of four hostages in exchange for Israel releasing about 600 Palestinian prisoners. Reuters reported that a convoy of the International Red Cross entered the designated location in Gaza by Hamas to receive the bodies. The latest handovers will complete the obligations of both sides under the first phase of the ceasefire, in which Hamas handed over 33 hostages (including eight bodies), and Israel released 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Funeral of Israeli hostage returned by Hamas
After completing the hostage handover, the parties announced their stance on implementing the next phase of the agreement. Israel proposed three solutions: Hamas must disarm, its leaders must go into exile or give up control of Gaza. If Hamas accepts one of these three conditions, the two sides will move on to negotiating phase 2 of the agreement. Meanwhile, Hamas announced that it would only release the remaining hostages if the ceasefire agreement with Israel is respected, and emphasized that it is ready to start negotiating phase 2.
Palestinian prisoners released to Gaza on February 27, 2025
In the context of Hamas and Israel not yet agreeing on a stance, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan yesterday called on Russia and China to put pressure on Israel to resolve the situation in Gaza, fearing that the conflict could continue. On the same day, US President Donald Trump stressed that Israel must decide whether to maintain the ceasefire or not. Mr. James M Dorsey, a Middle East expert and senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), commented: "If the second phase of the ceasefire cannot be reached, the parties can extend the first phase, which is appropriate within the framework of the agreement."
Fire and smoke in the Middle East
On the same day, February 27, Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV accused Israeli forces of firing flares and attacking targets near the town of Abasan in Khan Younis (southern Gaza). There were no reports of casualties and Israel has not commented. Earlier, on February 26, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had struck several launch sites inside the Gaza Strip after an object was launched from the strip.
A makeshift tent camp in Muwasi, Rafah (southern Gaza)
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal on February 27 quoted several sources saying that Hamas is preparing to resume fighting in Gaza due to obstacles in ceasefire negotiations with Israel. Accordingly, Hamas is regrouping its forces, appointing new commanders, planning operations and starting to rebuild the tunnel system in Gaza.
People in a northern Gaza area on February 26, 2025.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on February 26 expressed particular concern over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and also criticized Hamas for not complying with international law by firing artillery shells into Israel. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) warned that the West Bank was facing an alarming escalation of violence with dozens of people killed and some 40,000 displaced since Israel expanded its military operations there last month.
Israel claims to have killed key Hezbollah member
The Israeli military announced on February 26 that it had killed Mahran Ali Nasser al-Din, who is believed to be an important member of Hezbollah, while directly participating in the movement of weapons and coordinating the situation along the Israel-Lebanon border. NNA news agency said that an Israeli drone attacked a vehicle traveling on the Hermel-Qasr road in northeastern Lebanon, killing one person and injuring another, but did not give their names. Hezbollah has not confirmed the information.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dai-gaza-truoc-chuyen-bien-moi-185250227234422774.htm
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