Egypt to Convene Mediators as Hamas Approves Roadmap for Second Phase of Gaza Ceasefire

Egypt will soon host a meeting of mediators to reaffirm all parties’ commitment to implementing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, an informed Egyptian source said Friday.

The source, quoted by Egypt’s Al Qahera News, said Hamas and other Palestinian factions have notified mediators of their approval of the roadmap for the second phase of the ceasefire.

The development follows announcements by US President Donald Trump and the Board of Peace that an agreement had been reached on advancing the next phase, with the Board saying Hamas had endorsed a detailed implementation plan. Israel has not yet formally approved it.

Cairo Meeting to Confirm Commitments

According to the Egyptian source, the upcoming meeting in Cairo will bring together mediators to confirm all parties’ adherence to the agreement’s provisions.

Hamas said Friday, July 31, 2026, that it and other Palestinian factions had engaged “responsibly and positively” with negotiations and mediators’ proposals to complete the second phase, in line with Palestinian national consensus. The group stressed that Israel’s commitment to halting killings and ending attacks is the essential first step toward implementation and toward establishing the framework and timetable for agreed measures.

Hamas added that progress on the second phase remains contingent on Israel fulfilling all obligations under the first phase.

Conditions for Advancing Heavy Weapons Provisions

Regarding heavy weapons, Hamas said its agreement to include the issue in the implementation framework is conditional on:

• A complete end to Israeli attacks
• Full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip
• The start of early recovery efforts
• Entry of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza
• Deployment of the International Stabilization Force

The group also listed additional conditions: dismantling armed gangs and militias it says were established by Israel, launching reconstruction, guaranteeing Palestinian self‑determination, establishing an independent Palestinian state, and protecting Palestinian rights.

Background: First Phase and Ongoing Violations

The first phase of the ceasefire began on Oct. 10, 2025, providing for a ceasefire, hostage‑prisoner exchanges and expanded humanitarian aid. Hamas says Israel has continued military attacks and imposed restrictions on aid entering Gaza despite the agreement. Israel currently maintains military control over about 70% of the Gaza Strip.

Amnesty International estimates that around 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, most of them civilians. A ceasefire reached in October 2025 brought some relief and enabled additional Israeli hostages to return to their families.

Human rights experts warn that without addressing the underlying causes of the conflict, Palestinians and Israelis cannot hope for a future built on rights, equality and justice. Some genocide scholars argue that Israel must end what they describe as a system of apartheid and its unlawful occupation of the Palestinian territories. They also call for accountability on all sides for genocide and other crimes under international law.

Israel Approves Massive Settlement Expansion in West Bank

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday that the government has approved the establishment of 104 illegal settlements and around 160 settlement farms in the occupied West Bank since it took office in November 2022, according to Israel’s Channel 7.

Speaking to Likud party leaders in Jerusalem, Katz said the government had taken “a series of important decisions regarding settlement expansion in Judea and Samaria,” using Israel’s term for the West Bank.

“We are not only strengthening security, but also strengthening settlement,” he said, describing the move as “an unprecedented step that reflects the commitment to strengthening Israel’s control over the area.”

Outposts Rising Across the West Bank

In recent weeks, the West Bank has seen a rise in occupiers establishing outposts in various areas. These outposts, set up without official authorization, often become the nucleus of settlements later legalized or connected to existing settlement infrastructure.

According to Israeli watchdog Peace Now, the West Bank currently contains:

• 141 settlements
• 360 settlement outposts
• 15 settlements in East Jerusalem

UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) states that Israeli settlements in territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion declaring Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territories unlawful and calling for its end “as soon as possible.”

Escalating Attacks and Fears of Annexation

Alongside settlement expansion, the occupied West Bank has witnessed escalating attacks by occupiers on Palestinians and their property. Palestinian, Israeli and international rights groups accuse the Israeli army of protecting settlers and, in some cases, participating in the attacks.

The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission recorded 3,488 attacks in the first half of 2026, including assaults on people, property and land, the establishment of outposts, and preventing farmers from accessing their land.

Palestinians warn that Israeli policies—home demolitions, settlement expansion and rising settler violence—are paving the way for formal annexation, undermining prospects for a Palestinian state under relevant UN resolutions.