Israeli government said earlier Sunday it supports an extension proposal The first phase of the ceasefire Although Hamas insists on the second phase of the negotiations for the truce, in Gaza, through Ramadan and Passover.
The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office came minutes after the end of the first phase, which was designed to end the war with the beginning of the second phase, and saw all remaining hostages in Gaza return home.
The statement provides new details about Israel’s description as a U.S. proposal: an extension through Passover or April 20 ceasefire. Will be released. If an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire, the rest will be released.
The statement said it was at the impression that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff was given that at this stage, it was not possible to bridge the parties’ positions to end the war, and that negotiations on a permanent ceasefire would take more time. ”
Hamas did not immediately comment, which earlier rejected Israel’s proposal that extended the first phase of the ceasefire by 42 days – doubled it – said it violated the armistice agreement, and the group asked anonymously to discuss behind closed doors.
Israeli officials and mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been involved in the negotiations to begin the second phase of the ceasefire in Cairo. But Basem Naim, a member of the Hamas Politburo, told the Associated Press that there was no progress until Israeli negotiators returned to their hometown on Friday. Hamas did not participate, but its position was represented by Egyptian and Qatar mediators.
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, combat should not resume when negotiations are conducted in the second phase.
Israel’s new statement said it could return to the fight “if the negotiations were considered invalid”, noting that Hamas refused to accept proposals for an extension of the first phase.
But “If Hamas changes its position, Israel will immediately negotiate all the details of Vickoff’s plan.”
Egyptian officials involved in the talks were anonymous while discussing the negotiations ahead of Israel’s new statement. The official said Hamas, Qatar and Egypt wanted to continue the existing ceasefire agreement and they rejected Israel’s proposal to extend the ceasefire by four weeks, freeing hostages each Saturday without formally participating in the negotiations in the second phase.
Egyptian officials said the United States hopes to start negotiations in the second phase, but calls for the release of hostages during the negotiations. Hamas insists on implementing the ceasefire clause in full.
The first phase of the fight was suspended for 15 months in Gaza, freeing 33 hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Thousands of people returned to northern Gaza to assist in entering the territory, and Israeli forces retreated to the buffer zone.
Hamas started the war with the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and occupying about 250 hostages. Gaza health officials said that since then, Israel’s military offensive killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, who did not distinguish between civilians and combatants’ deaths, but said more than half of the dead were women and children.
According to Israel, 32 of the 59 hostages still in Gaza have died.
The two sides agreed to a three-phase ceasefire agreement in January. The second phase of negotiations begins the first week of February. The Israelis gathered Saturday night and urged their government to continue the deal.
Hamas reiterated his “full commitment to implement all terms of the agreement at all stages and details” and called on the international community to put pressure on Israel to enter the second phase immediately.
Other challenges complicate the future of the ceasefire. Israel said that after the war, Hamas could not participate in Gaza’s management. Netanyahu also ruled out any role of Western-supported Palestinian authorities, dominated by Hamas’ main rival Fatah.
Hamas leader Mohamed Darwish reiterated on Saturday that the group is willing to hand over power to the Palestinian National Consensus Government, or the claimed body of technical experts in Egypt that is inconsistent with Hamas or Hamas or Hamas or Hamas. His comments were in an open letter to the Cairo Arab Leaders Summit next week. Hamas refuted Israel’s suggestion that its leadership is in exile.
Witkov, Speech on CBS News Last weekend, “Facing the Country” said that ensuring the release of the previous U.S. nationals was considered one of the surviving hostages, Edan Alexander It is “front and center for us”. Alexander was serving in the Israel Defense Forces when he was kidnapped in the terrorist attack on October 7.
“I know his parents,” Vidoc told CBS News. “We’ve been talking about it all the time. He’s critical. It’s one of President Trump’s most important goals to get all Americans home and I’m sure we’ll be home successfully.”
