Tel Aviv: The Israeli government has announced its acceptance of a temporary ceasefire plan proposed by the United States in an effort to halt hostilities with Hamas in Gaza. The plan aims to secure the release of several Israeli hostages, both alive and deceased.
The proposal, developed by U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Whitcoff, calls for a temporary cessation of fighting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover.
In a statement issued on Sunday, March 2, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel had agreed to the U.S. plan, following the expiration of the first phase of the ceasefire.
Under the agreement, Hamas is expected to release half of the hostages—either alive or deceased—on the first day of the truce. The remaining hostages would only be freed as part of a permanent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The U.S. envoy emphasized that the temporary ceasefire was necessary to create conditions for negotiating a lasting truce. Netanyahu’s office stated that Israel is prepared to begin immediate negotiations if Hamas agrees to the terms.
However, a senior Hamas official has rejected an extension of the initial ceasefire period without explicitly stating whether the group accepts or rejects the U.S. proposal.
Two Palestinian officials familiar with the negotiations told Reuters that Israel had refused to engage in talks regarding the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Israel has conditioned the extension of the first phase of the ceasefire on Hamas releasing a certain number of hostages—alive or dead—each week. Hamas, however, has rejected this condition and insists that it is ready to implement the second phase of the truce, urging Israel to uphold its commitments.
The ceasefire discussions come as Hamas released a video on Saturday showing several hostages still being held in Gaza. The group’s military wing reiterated that any further hostage releases would only occur under the terms of the prisoner exchange agreement reached on January 19, 2025.
