Delay in Israel-Hamas ceasefire not a good omen for new negotiations

The three-phase deal requires new negotiations to advance and is highly vulnerable amid little trust between the sides, writes Peter Beaumont

Displaced Palestinians return to Rafah, which lies in ruin, a day after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect. Picture: Mohammad Abu Samra/AP

The hours-long delay in implementing the Gaza ceasefire agreement is not a good omen for a deal that many fear could be doomed to failure as it moves through its challenging three phases.

While it is a truism that all negotiations to end conflicts rely on cautious trust building and are highly vulnerable to spoilers, the deal to end 15 months of fighting in Gaza that followed Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, is more obviously fraught than most.