Israel Backs Plan to Extend Gaza Truce as First Phase Nears End

JERUSALEM, 2 March 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Israel has announced its endorsement of a proposal to extend the truce in Gaza as a temporary measure, following the conclusion of the first phase of its ceasefire with Hamas.

The proposal, introduced by US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, aims to maintain the ceasefire through Ramadan, which ends in late March, and Passover, lasting until mid-April. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed this decision in a statement released just after midnight.

The initial phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was set to expire over the weekend, with uncertainty surrounding the potential transition to a second phase that could bring a more lasting resolution to the conflict. Negotiations remain inconclusive, with the fate of hostages held in Gaza and the welfare of over two million Palestinians at stake.

Hostage Releases Under Proposed Extension

According to the Israeli statement, the truce extension would involve the immediate release of half of the remaining hostages in Gaza, with the rest to be freed upon securing a permanent ceasefire agreement.

Hamas has yet to respond officially to the proposal, though the group had previously rejected any extension of the truce.

Israel’s backing of what it described as a US-led initiative comes amid growing international warnings against a renewed escalation of the war. The 15-month-long conflict has devastated Gaza, displaced nearly its entire population, and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned against a “catastrophic” return to violence, stating that “a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages are essential to preventing escalation and averting more devastating consequences for civilians.”

US Increases Military Aid to Israel

Meanwhile, Washington announced on Saturday an increase in military aid to Israel.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed he had invoked emergency powers to fast-track the delivery of approximately $4 billion in military assistance, reversing a partial arms embargo imposed under former President Joe Biden.

Israeli officials participated in ceasefire negotiations last week in Cairo alongside Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediators. However, as of early Saturday, no agreement had been reached.

Muslims in Gaza marked the first day of Ramadan amidst the uncertainty, illuminating war-torn neighbourhoods with coloured lights in an effort to maintain a sense of normalcy.

Hamas Stance on Hostage Releases

A senior Hamas official told AFP that the group was willing to release all remaining hostages in a single exchange as part of the second phase of negotiations.

“Hamas will not be happy to extend phase one, but it lacks the ability to force Israel into phase two,” Max Rodenbeck, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, commented.

Under the six-week ceasefire that began on 19 January, Hamas militants released 25 hostages alive and returned the bodies of eight others in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

While Hamas has reiterated its willingness to negotiate for a second phase, Israel appears to prefer securing further hostage releases under an extension of the current arrangement.

A Palestinian source close to the talks indicated that Israel had proposed prolonging the first phase in rolling one-week intervals, with further hostage-prisoner exchanges each week. Hamas reportedly rejected this approach.

Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s attack on 7 October 2023, 58 remain in Gaza, including 34 whom the Israeli military believes to be dead.

Hamas Releases Hostage Video

Hamas’s armed wing recently released footage appearing to show a group of Israeli hostages in Gaza, with a caption stating: “Only a ceasefire agreement brings them back alive.”

AFP was unable to independently verify the video, but the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office dismissed it as “cruel propaganda.”

Israeli advocacy group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum confirmed that the family of two hostages featured in the footage had given permission for its publication.

Yair Horn, an Israeli-Argentine, was freed on 15 February, while his brother Eitan remains in captivity. “We demand from the decision-makers: Look Eitan in the eyes. Don’t stop the agreement that has already brought dozens of hostages back to us,” the Horn family stated.

Political Pressure on Netanyahu

Domestic political pressures could influence Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decisions regarding the truce.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of a far-right faction in Netanyahu’s coalition, has threatened to withdraw from the government if the war does not resume.

“The Israeli government could collapse if we enter phase two,” warned Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at risk consultancy Le Beck International.

Israel has also indicated that it plans to maintain a military presence in a section of Gaza along the Egyptian border to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons.

The war, which began with Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel, has resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people—mostly civilians—on the Israeli side. In retaliation, Israel’s military offensive has killed 48,388 people in Gaza, the vast majority of them civilians, according to figures from both sides.

The conflict has left Gaza in ruins, with infrastructure severely damaged and access to basic necessities such as food, water, and medical supplies severely restricted. As negotiations continue, millions await clarity on whether a lasting truce can be secured or if violence will resume.