J Street Responds to the Expiration of Phase 1 of the Ceasefire
March 2, 2025
Washington DC – As the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas entered its 42nd day – the intended timeframe for beginning Phase II of the agreement – J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami released the following statement:
“Today should have been the beginning of Phase II of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The agreement has brought tremendous benefits to all sides including the release of 25 living Israeli hostages (including two American citizens, Keith Siegal and Sagui Dekel-Chen), 5 Thai nationals, and the remains of 8 Israelis killed either on October 7 or in captivity. It has also resulted in much-needed relief for Palestinian civilians in Gaza and a surge of humanitarian assistance.
We strongly oppose a resumption of war – a view that is overwhelmingly supported by the Israeli people. Instead, we believe that the best way to get the hostages out, address the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and create conditions that ensure Hamas does not once again govern Gaza, is through a diplomatic agreement.
We object in the strongest possible terms to Israel’s decision today to withhold all aid to Gaza, which is a violation of US and international humanitarian law as well as an act of collective punishment targeted at civilians. Coming at the beginning of the month of Ramadan, it is much more likely to undercut any pathway for an agreement to get the hostages out and instead lead to a return to war.
We call on the US, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators to do everything possible to ensure that the Israeli government and Hamas move urgently toward Phase II of the ceasefire framework. The current break in major hostilities must be extended, massive humanitarian relief for the people of Gaza must continue, further hostages must be released, and an agreement on post-war governance in Gaza must be reached. In lieu of the ability to begin Phase II implementation today due to the several delays in negotiations, we support a temporary extension of Phase I in order to see the release of more hostages, a continued surge in humanitarian assistance, and ensure that the fighting does not restart.”
Read this statement on our website.
