CAIRO: Israel will undertake the proposal by US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, for a brief ceasefire in Gaza for the Ramadan and Passover durations, the prime minister’s workplace mentioned early on Sunday (Mar 2), hours after the primary section of the beforehand agreed ceasefire expired.
On the primary day of Witkoff’s proposal, half of the hostages held in Gaza, each alive and lifeless, will probably be launched, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned, including the remaining hostages may also be launched after a everlasting ceasefire was agreed.
In response to Netanyahu’s workplace assertion, Hamas senior official, Mahmoud Mardawi, mentioned it’s a clear affirmation that Israel was disavowing the offers it beforehand signed.
“This continued manipulation won’t return the hostages to their households … However quite the opposite … it is going to result in their continued struggling and endangering their lives,” Mardawi was quoted as saying in Palestinian media, together with by the Hamas-affiliated Shehab information company.
The ceasefire settlement halted 15 months of combating starting on Jan 19, permitting the trade of 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais captured on Hamas’ Oct 7 assault for round 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel. It was meant to result in subsequent talks to construct on the ceasefire deal.
Talks on the second section of the ceasefire have been ongoing, most just lately in Cairo, however haven’t led to an settlement.
Egyptian sources mentioned on Friday the Israeli delegation sought to increase the primary section by 42 days, whereas Hamas needed to maneuver to the second section of the ceasefire deal. Spokesman Hazem Qassem mentioned on Saturday the group rejected Israel’s “formulation” of extending the primary section.
Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned on Sunday that Israel would instantly conduct negotiations on Witkoff’s plan if Hamas agreed to it. Witkoff’s proposed ceasefire would prolong over the Islamic Ramadan fasting interval that ends round Mar 31 and the Jewish Passover vacation that ends round Apr 20.
Because the ceasefire is technically expired, the specter of renewed violence is a chance.
“Based on the settlement, Israel can return to combating after the forty second day if it feels that the negotiations are ineffective,” Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned on Sunday, accusing Hamas of violating the deal. Either side have been buying and selling accusations of breaching the first-phase deal.
Two Palestinian officers accustomed to the negotiation advised Reuters on Saturday that Israel refused to enter the second section of the settlement or begin negotiations about it.
As a substitute, Israel requested an extension of the primary section, conditioned on the handover of quite a lot of dwelling prisoners and our bodies for every week of extension.
Hamas, nevertheless, rejected an extension and insisted on adhering to the settlement, coming into the second section, and obliging Israel to what was agreed upon.
On Saturday, Hamas’s armed wing posted a video displaying Israeli hostages nonetheless in its custody in Gaza and pressured that the remaining hostages can solely be freed by way of a swap deal as acknowledged beneath the phased ceasefire settlement that started in January.
