US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Photo: AFP / ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS
Israel will adopt the proposal by US President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza for the Ramadan and Passover periods, the prime minister's office said early on Sunday, hours after the first phase of the previously agreed ceasefire was set to expire.
On the first day of Witkoff's proposal, half of the hostages held in Gaza, both alive and dead, will be released, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said, adding the remaining hostages will also be released after a permanent ceasefire was agreed.
Witkoff made the proposal to extend the current ceasefire after realising more time was needed for talks on a permanent ceasefire, Netanyahu's office added.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem earlier on Saturday said the group rejected Israel's "formulation" of extending the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, but did not explicitly mention Witkoff's plan.
Netanyahu's office said Israel would immediately conduct negotiations on Witkoff's plan if Hamas agreed to it.
"According to the agreement, Israel can return to fighting after the 42nd day if it feels that the negotiations are ineffective," Netanyahu's office also said, accusing Hamas of violating the deal. Both sides have been trading accusations of violating the deal.
Two Palestinian officials familiar with the negotiation told Reuters that Israel refused to enter the second phase of the agreement or start negotiations about it.
Instead, Israel requested an extension of the first phase, conditioned on the handover of a number of alive prisoners and bodies for each week of extension.
Hamas, however, rejected and insisted on adhering to the agreement, entering the second phase, and obliging Israel to what was agreed upon.
On Saturday, Hamas's armed wing posted a video showing Israeli hostages still in its custody in Gaza and stressed that the remaining hostages can only be freed through a swap deal as stated in the phased ceasefire agreement that began on 19 January.
The ceasefire agreement halted 15 months of fighting, allowing the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for around 2000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. It was meant to lead to subsequent talks to build on the ceasefire deal.
Talks about the ceasefire have been ongoing, most recently in Cairo, but have not led to an agreement.
- Reuters
