Israel agreed to a proposal to extend a temporary ceasefire into the Middle East from President Donald Trump's envoy during the period around Muslim Ramadan and Jewish Passover, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Saturday night.
The news came as the first temporary ceasefire contract expired in the middle of local time.
Netanyahu's office said the temporary ceasefire extension was agreed after realising that it would take more time to grasp the permanent ceasefire solution.
Under the extension proposal, the ruins of half of the hostages and still dead hostages in Gaza will be released, with the rest being released once a permanent ceasefire is established.
Hamas will release more hostages in exchange for more than 600 Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets the Middle East of Jerusalem Steve Witkov with an American envoy. (Ma'ayan Toaf, GPO)
“According to the agreement, Israel can return to combat in 42 days if it feels that negotiations are effective,” Netanyahu's office noted Phase 1 of the first temporary ceasefire.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Hamas “has rejected this framework so far,” Israel said. Hamas has made similar accusations against Israel.
Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Levi, Israeli hostages who have been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023, will be taken to the stage by terrorists on February 8, 2025, before being handed over to the Red Cross of Dea Al-Bara in the Gaza Strip. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)
7 A significant takeaway from an Israeli military report on what happened in October. 7
“Israel will soon enter negotiations on all details of Witkov's framework,” the Israeli government said if Hamas agreed.
If a new ceasefire contract has not been agreed, combat is expected to resume on Sunday.
Witkoff's proposal said “there is no possibility of bridgeing the gap between the parties' positions to end the war, and additional time will be required to negotiate a permanent ceasefire.”
Hamas terrorists gather to see the handover of three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross team in Dale Elbara, central Gaza on February 8, 2025. (Majdi Fathi/Nurphoto via Getty Images)
A total of 38 hostages were released during the 42-day ceasefire phase 1, which began in mid-January in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
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Reuters reported that Hamas posted the video on Saturday. The remaining hostages in Gaza said they will only be released through another swap of Palestinian prisoners, part of the original phased ceasefire contract framework.
The continuous permanent ceasefire talks, held primarily in Cairo, are stagnant.
Reuters contributed to this report.
