Gaza ceasefire must be implemented in full, without new conditions: EU envoy

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The Gaza ceasefire must be fully implemented without new conditions, the EU special representative for the Middle East Peace Process said Tuesday.

"The Gaza ceasefire has brought the beginnings of relief, freedom and hope for safety to countless suffering, innocent people," Sven Koopmans wrote on X.

The special representative said: "It must be implemented in full and without new conditions."

Koopmans warned that more war would only mean more man-made tragedy.

Since Jan. 25, Trump has repeatedly suggested that Palestinians in Gaza should be taken in by regional Arab nations such as Egypt and Jordan, an idea rejected by both the Arab states and Palestinian leaders.

On Monday, Trump warned "all hell" will break out if all Israeli captives in Gaza were not released by 12:00 p.m. (10:00 GMT) on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to Hamas following a four-hour security Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, announcing that he had ordered the military to mobilize forces in and around Gaza.

The three-phase ceasefire deal has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, halting Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 48,200 people and left the enclave in ruins.

In phase one of the truce, which runs until early March, 33 Israeli hostages are to be released in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners. The sixth Israeli-Hamas swap was scheduled for this week.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.