Israel has agreed to a temporary ceasefire extension proposal from President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witcoff, for the period around the Muslim Ramadan and Jewish Passover, as per Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, which stated this development on Saturday night. This news emerged as the initial temporary ceasefire agreement expired at midnight local time. According to Netanyahu’s office, the extension of the ceasefire was agreed upon after realizing the need for more time to devise a permanent ceasefire solution. Under the extension proposal, half of the hostages and the remains of dead hostages still in Gaza will be released, with the remaining to be released once a permanent ceasefire is established.

HAMAS RELEASES MORE HOSTAGES IN EXCHANGE FOR MORE THAN 600 PALESTINAN PRISONERS AS PART OF CEASEFIRE DEAL

Continuing, the Israeli government has stated that if Hamas agrees, “Israel will immediately enter negotiations on all details of Witkoff’s framework,” which proposes that there is no possibility of bridging the gaps between the parties’ positions to end the war and that additional time is needed for negotiations on a permanent ceasefire. If a new ceasefire deal is not agreed upon, fighting is set to resume on Sunday. Ongoing permanent ceasefire talks, primarily held in Cairo, have stalled. It is worth noting that a total of 38 hostages were released during the 42-day ceasefire phase one that began in mid-January, in return for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and Hamas has posted a video stating that the remaining hostages in Gaza will only be released through another prisoner swap, as part of the original phased ceasefire agreement framework.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-agrees-trump-envoys-gaza-ceasefire-proposal-first-phase-expires