Israel agreed to a temporary proposal for extending interruption President Donald Trump The envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, for the period around the Muslim Ramadan and the Jewish Passover, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night.
The news has arrived as the first temporary fire interruption agreement expired at midnight local time.
Netanyahu’s office said the temporary extension of the ceasefire had been agreed after they realized that it needed more time to determine a permanent solution to interrupt the fire.
According to the extension proposal, half of the hostages and the remains of the dead hostages will still be released in Gaza and the remaining ones have been released after a permanent interruption of fire has been established.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, meets with the US envoy in the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, Jerusalem. (Ma’ayan toif, GPO)
“According to the agreement, Israel can Return to fight after 42 days if they believe that negotiations are ineffective, “Netanyahu’s office noticed the first temporary phase of the tribute.
Hamas “has so far remained firm in his rejection of this frame” needed for a permanent truce, Israel said, according to Jerusalem mail. Hamas presented similar accusations against Israel.
The Israeli hostage of Ohad Ben Ami, left, Eli Sharabi and or Levy, held by Hamas in Gaza as hostage of October 7, 2023, were taken to the stage before handing it over to the Red Cross in the Central Gaza comic book in Deir al-Balah. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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“Israel will immediately enter into negotiations on all the details of Witkoff’s frame,” if Hamas agrees, the Israeli government said.
If the new interruption agreement is not agreed, the fighting will continue on Sunday.
Witkoff’s proposal said: “There is no possibility of bridging the gaps between the parties’ positions to end the war and that it takes additional time to negotiate permanent tribute,” the post reported.
Hamas terrorists gather to watch the handover of three Israeli hostages at the Red Cross in Deir El-Balah, Central Gaza, February 8, 2025. (Majdi Fathi/Nurphoto via Getty Images)
A total of 38 hostages were released during the 42-day phase of the tribute that began in mid-January in exchange for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
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Reuters reported that Hamas posted a video on Saturday in which hostages remaining in Gaza would only be released by another replacement for Palestinian prisoners, which was part of the original framework of the stages agreement.
The constant permanent interruption of the fire, which is primarily held in Cairo, stopped.
Reuters contributed to this report.
