Netanyahu supports US proposal to extend first phase of Gaza ceasefire instead of heading to second stage

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Jewish nation supports the ceasefire proposal pushed by US President Donald Trump’s administration as the second phase of the Gaza truce faces delay. On Sunday, the Israeli government maintained that it would agree to the extension of the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza through Ramadan and Passover.

However, Hamas is now pushing for the negotiation of the second phase of the truce instead. The confirmation of Israel’s approval came from PM Netanyahu’s office. The announcement was made minutes after the first phase of the ceasefire came to an end. The statement also brings out the fact that the proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire was pushed by the United States.

Israel agrees to the extension through Passover, or April 20. As per the new proposal, on the first day of the framework, half the hostages, alive and dead, would be released. The rest would be released if an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire, CBS News reported.

The statement maintained that it was proposed after US envoy Steve Witkoff got “the impression that at this stage there was no possibility of bridging the positions of the parties to end the war and that more time was needed for talks on a permanent ceasefire.”

Hamas laments no progress in the second phase of Gaza ceasefire talks

On Saturday, a senior Hamas official said that the latest rounds of talks on the second phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have yet to make any progress. The second phase of the truce entailed the release of dozens of hostages who were still in Gaza and would pave the way for a more permanent end to the war.

It is pertinent to note that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did send a delegation to Cairo which is mediating, said “intensive talks” on the second phase had begun. Delegations from Egypt, Qatar and the US are also part of the negotiations. But Hamas maintained that there was no consensus.

The Palestinian group went on to blame Israel for delaying the negotiation process. “The second phase of the ceasefire agreement is supposed to begin tomorrow morning, Sunday … but the occupation is still procrastinating and continuing to violate the agreement,” the source told Agence-France Presse.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres said that the Hamas ceasefire “must hold”. “The coming days are critical. The parties must spare no effort to avoid a breakdown of this deal,” Guterres said in New York. He emphasised that the truce enables more aid to flow into the Gaza Strip where more than 69 per cent of buildings were damaged or destroyed, and almost the entire population was displaced.

With inputs from agencies.