Israel approves temporary extension of Gaza ceasefire

The Israeli government agreed over a temporary ceasefire extension in Gaza over the next six weeks, which cover the periods of Muslim and Jewish Passover.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released the announcement shortly after the end of the first stage of the previously agreed ceasefire at midnight on Saturday.

Netanyahu’s office said that, according to the ceasefire proposal presented by US President Donald Trump Steve Witkev, half of the hostages who still keep Hamas in Gaza – alive and death – will be released on the first day.

The remaining hostages will be released “if an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire.”

Hamas publicly did not comment on the last Israeli step.

The Israeli government supported the extension of the ceasefire after a four -hour meeting called Netanyahu.

The Prime Minister’s office claimed that Hamas “refused so far” to support the Witkeov plan, adding that Israel will immediately start negotiations if the group changes its position.

The US envoy’s plan expects that Israel could return to fighting after 42 days if it believed that negotiations in the second stage have failed.

On Friday night, Hamas said it would not agree to any extension of the first stage without guarantees from American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators in the end.

Hamas seems to be designed to remain a force in Gaza, even if it is ready to hand over the daily governance of other Palestinian actors, Including the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank occupied by Israel, Paul Adams from the BBC reports from Jerusalem.

The first stage of the ceasefire, which entered into force on January 19, ended on Saturday.

15 months of fighting stopped between Hamas and the Israeli army, allowing the release of 33 Israelis and five Thai hostages of about 1900 Palestinian prisoners and detained.

But negotiations on the second stage, including the launch of all the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, barely started.

It is believed that 24 hostages are alive, with 39 others supposed to be dead.

Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 251 hostages.

Israel responded with an air and ground campaign in the Gaza Strip, during which at least 4,8365 people were killed, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health in the region.