What happened to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire - and could there be another one?

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas seemingly came to an end overnight after Israel launched dozens of air strikes on targets across Gaza.

Palestinian authorities have said more than 400 people are either dead or missing.

The ceasefire agreed back in mid-January had paused fighting after 15 months of war. It also saw both sides agree to the release of Israeli hostages taken during the 7 October attacks back in 2023, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

So what is left of the ceasefire now, and why did Israel choose to strike Hamas?

Gaza strikes latest: Follow live updates

What did the agreed ceasefire look like?

The three-stage deal, brokered by mediators the US, Qatar and Egypt, came into effect on 19 January.

During the first phase, Hamas returned 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli forces also withdrew to buffer zones inside Gaza, and hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to northern Gaza. No further hostage releases were called for under the agreement until the second phase.

Negotiations over this second phase of the deal were meant to begin on the 16th day of phase one - 4 February - and were supposed to lead to a permanent ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of all remaining hostages.

According to the deal, a third phase would include the return of the bodies of dead hostages and the beginning of Gaza's reconstruction, a mammoth task that will be supervised by Egypt, Qatar and the UN.

It had little detail about the future of Gaza - from how it will be governed, to any guarantees that the ceasefire agreement will bring a permanent end to the war.

Read more:
The competing plans for rebuilding Gaza after the war

What has actually happened?

The first phase of the ceasefire deal officially ended two weeks ago. Israel has since cut off all food, medicine, fuel, electricity and other supplies to Gaza's population of around two million people, to pressure Hamas to accept a new proposal ahead of a second phase of ceasefire.

The move was widely criticised, with Hamas accusing Israel of trying to cause famine in Gaza, and the head of the UN Palestinian relief agency (UNRWA) warning the territory will experience another hunger crisis if Israel continues to withhold aid.

Israel's new proposal would require Hamas to release half its remaining hostages - the militant group's main bargaining chip - in exchange for a ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.

It is named the "Witkoff plan", after US Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff proposed it last week.

Mr Witkoff also demanded the release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander and the bodies of four hostages who died in captivity.

The proposal made no mention of releasing more Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was Hamas's refusal of this proposal that led to him ordering the strikes on Tuesday.

Unless mediators now step in, Israel's attack on Gaza could mean a full return to fighting.

Could a new ceasefire be agreed?

Last week, Israel sent a delegation to the Qatari capital, Doha, for more ceasefire talks, and Hamas leaders attended a round of talks in Cairo, but there has been no sign of a breakthrough.

Reacting to the latest strikes, Egypt's foreign ministry called for all parties to "exercise restraint" and to give mediators space to "complete their efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire".

Hamas claimed it is "working with mediators to curb the aggression", adding that it is keen to implement a ceasefire deal.

Meanwhile, a statement from the office of Mr Netanyahu said Israel would act against Hamas with "increasing military strength". It accused Hamas of repeatedly refusing to release hostages.

The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel's actions.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has also issued evacuation orders for a number of areas in Gaza - after the ceasefire agreement allowed hundreds of thousands of people to return to their homes across the region.

The order tells people to leave the neighbourhoods of Beit Hanoun, Khuza'a, Abasan al-Kabira and al-Jadida and head to shelters in Gaza City and Khan Younis.

Sky News Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall said the order may indicate that an Israeli land force is preparing to enter the area.

"If you're going to have a major ground offensive, and if it could from all angles, I think they would look to force Gazan civilians into humanitarian zones," he said.

"That would give the IDF some freedom of operation, freedom of movement, in open areas."

(c) Sky News 2025: What happened to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire - and could there be another one?