Tony Blair, a prominent member of the Board of Peace, is seeking to salvage the Gaza ceasefire agreement by pressing Israel to begin implementing some of its provisions in stages, pending full implementation, following the conclusion of Israel's Knesset elections in recent days.
Meanwhile, Hamas is awaiting a positive response concerning the fate and future of the agreement, as security and humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip continue to deteriorate.
Blair met Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday morning, followed by a meeting that afternoon with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will lead a caretaker government until a new administration is formed.
On Friday afternoon, Blair also met Gadi Eisenkot, a potential candidate for prime minister, to discuss the situation in Gaza.
According to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, Blair held meetings with senior Israeli officials over the past three days to discuss advancing US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan, which was agreed upon in late September 2025 before taking effect with the ceasefire announced on October 10 of that year.
The broadcaster and Israel's Channel 13 reported that Blair emphasized the need to allow the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) to enter the territory and assume its responsibilities.
He also called for allowing the International Stabilization Force (ISF), which is still being assembled, to begin deploying soon to designated locations.
These would constitute initial steps toward bringing the weapons of Hamas and other Palestinian factions under control.
Blair's visit coincided with a trip by the Board of Peace's High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov. It was not immediately clear whether Mladenov participated in Blair's meetings or held separate discussions.
Both Blair and Mladenov visited the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel, where senior military officers from dozens of countries are monitoring implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
According to Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, US pressure to advance Trump's plan to end the war has continued even after the Israeli elections, despite stalled talks with Hamas and ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza.
The newspaper noted that developments on the ground showed no indication of meaningful progress toward the next phase.
Citing sources familiar with the details, the newspaper reported that negotiations remain frozen, with no substantial progress in implementing the US plan.
This comes as Hamas remains armed and continues rebuilding its ranks, while the Israeli military continues operations aimed at thwarting its plans, with those operations intensifying recently.
The newspaper argued that the security and political situation would become more complicated because of the political turmoil following the Knesset election results.
Israel's political system is facing uncertainty amid the absence of a clear majority and questions over whether a stable government can be formed.
The newspaper said this directly affects Israel's ability to formulate a long-term policy toward Gaza, particularly regarding how to proceed with the American plan.
While Washington is seeking progress on Trump's initiative, Israel remains uncertain about its political future in the coming months.
Israel is skeptical about the prospects of successfully implementing or advancing any new measures, partly because Hamas refuses to disarm or surrender control of its weapons.
Citing Israeli officials, the Hebrew-language Walla news website reported several days ago that the political situation following the Knesset elections has further complicated efforts to advance the agreement.
It added that the Israeli military is also making preparations for a possible operation to occupy Gaza City in an effort to force Hamas to disarm.
Hamas Awaits a Response
Hamas, which appears to have few options remaining, is growing increasingly impatient over the failure to implement previously reached agreements, particularly as daily killings and bombardment continue and humanitarian conditions deteriorate.
In a statement documenting daily Israeli violations, Hamas said: "Peace is not measured by the signing of agreements alone, but by an end to the killing and the return of life to our people in Gaza."
In a video message published on its website, the movement added: "Gaza has never been a marginal consideration in political calculations, and the lives of its people must not be treated as something that can be postponed."
A Hamas official in the Gaza Strip told Asharq Al-Awsat that the movement is awaiting a response from mediators who are in direct contact with Board of Peace officials, following Blair's diplomatic efforts and meetings with Israeli leaders.
The official explained that the mediators had informed Hamas that the Board of Peace intended to undertake new efforts to move the Gaza agreement forward, and that the movement would await the outcome of those efforts.
Asked whether Hamas was counting on stronger US pressure, particularly following calls for a change in Washington's policy toward Israel after the Republican Party's defeat in the midterm elections, the official said such a possibility existed.
However, he added that past experience did not suggest the United States had any genuine intention of pressuring Israel, which was why progress remained extremely slow.
