A Hamas spokesman has just announced that there are currently no negotiations regarding the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum reports.

“He blamed Israel for failing to start those talks, adding that the Israeli military is trying to recover its captives without agreeing to the end of the war to retain the possibility of resuming the aggression on the Gaza Strip,” the correspondent adds.

According to Azzoum, the spokesperson concluded by stating that the current position of Israel to extend the first phase of the truce is not acceptable at all for Hamas.

“Potentially, we might see a surge in military activity starting tomorrow as there are no obligations any more to sustain the ceasefire,” Azzoum adds.

“That’s been left up in the air as the mediators try to contain this crisis and prevent a return to fighting that will bring nothing but further devastation to the people of Gaza,” Azzoum reports.