Israel announced on Sunday that it had approved the proposal to extend the ceasefire in Gaza temporarily extend the ceasefire in Gaza, a bridging measure following the conclusion of the first phase of its ceasefire with Hamas.
According to AFP, in a statement by Israel Prime Minister’s office, this proposal was put forth by US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and it covered Ramzan and Passover, lasting through mid-April.
The first phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas was set to expire over the weekend, with uncertainty surrounding the second phase, which is expected to help pave the way for a more permanent end to the Gaza war.
The temporary truce aims to ease tensions during the religious holidays, details on its implementation are yet to be disclosed.
Negotiations have remained inconclusive, leaving the fate of hostages still held in Gaza and the lives of more than two million Palestinians hanging in the balance, as per AFP.
As Ramzan begins, many around the world welcome the month with prayer and fasting. But in Gaza, the mood is one of sorrow and uncertainty. The echoes of war still linger, and despite a ceasefire, many fear the fighting could resume at any moment. For those in Gaza, the memories of past conflicts remain fresh.
A resident recalls observing Ramazan during the 2014 war, fleeing airstrikes in the middle of the night as a child, as per ANI.
However, last year, the situation was even worse as food was scarce, and families broke their fast with whatever little they had – often just a single can of hummus or beans shared among six people.
The echoes of war still resonate. Uncertainty looms over how long the ceasefire will last, leaving people anxious about what comes next. Many fear the conflict could return.
Israel’s support for what it described as a US plan comes amid a wave of warnings against reigniting the war, which, after 15 months, has devastated Gaza, displaced nearly the entire population of the coastal strip, and triggered a hunger crisis.
Israeli officials held ceasefire negotiations with Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediators in Cairo last week. However, by early Saturday, there was no sign of a breakthrough as Muslims in Gaza marked the first day of Ramzan, with colourful lights illuminating war-damaged neighbourhoods, according to AFP.
A senior Hamas official told AFP the Palestinian militant group was prepared to release all remaining hostages in a single swap during the second phase.
The First Phase Of Ceasefire
Under the six-week ceasefire that took effect on January 19, Gaza militants freed 25 living hostages and returned the bodies of eight others to Israel in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The deal, reached following months of gruelling negotiations, largely halted the war that erupted with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
While Hamas on several occasions reiterated its “readiness to engage in negotiations for its second phase”, Israel preferred to secure more hostage releases under an extension of the first phase.
As per AFP, Israel had proposed extending the first phase in successive one-week intervals, aiming to conduct hostage-prisoner swaps each week. However, Hamas rejected the plan. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack, 58 hostages remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
