Israeli gov. unilaterally agrees to US proposal for truce extension

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
2 Mar 2025 01:18
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The Israeli occupation has agreed to extend the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip during the month of Ramadan and Passover, as the government continues to escape 2nd phase talks.

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Palestinians gather for Iftar on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestine, surrounded by the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli occupation forces, on March 1, 2025. (AP)

As the 42-day ceasefire between the Palestinian Resistance and the Israeli occupation came to an end, the Israeli government unilaterally endorsed what it described as a United States proposal for an extended ceasefire. This comes after the occupation violated the terms of a mediated multiphase ceasefire agreement it agreed to on January 18.

The ceasefire will extend through the holy month of Ramadan and Passover, according to Israeli media outlets. The 42-day ceasefire, which was ended, was part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, during which both sides should have begun talks for the second phase of the agreement.

The first phase saw the liberation of more than 2,000 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons and detention camps in exchange for 25 living Israeli captives and the remains of eight others.

Although Israeli authorities assess that 27 living captives continue to be held in the Gaza Strip and 32 bodies are yet to be retrieved, the Israeli government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu continues to evade second phase talks.

The goal behind the talks is to complete the prisoner exchange process, agree on the framework for lasting peace in the Gaza Strip, and rebuild the destroyed territory, among other objectives.

However, Netanyahu has repeatedly said that he will not end the war before the Palestinian Resistance, headed by Hamas, is destroyed.

What does Witkoff's plan entail?

Now, the ceasefire extension is expected to last until April 19, which is the day when Passover ends.

According to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, half of the captives, living and dead, would be released on the first day of the extended ceasefire. The rest of the captives would then be released at the end of the period if a permanent ceasefire is reached.

This, according to the office, is the plan proposed by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and agreed to by the Israeli prime minister. The office also claimed "Israel's" full compliance with the ceasefire agreement and the Palestinian Resistance's continuous violation of it.

Yet, as pointed out by The Times of Israel, the agreement reached for the first phase of the deal stated that the two sides would begin talks for phase two "no later than day 16." However, Israeli authorities did not engage in indirect talks until after day 42. Moreover, Israeli occupation forces did not begin their withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor, an area on the Palestinian side of the Palestinian-Egyptian border in the Gaza Strip, as promised in the ceasefire agreement.

Mardawi: PMO's statement is evidence of Israeli backtracking

On Sunday dawn, a senior Hamas official, Mahmoud Mardawi, said that the latest statement made by Netanyahu's office is "a clear confirmation" that the Israeli occupation "repeatedly evades the agreements it has signed and continues to stall" negotiations.

"This continued manipulation will not bring the captives back to their families; on the contrary, it will prolong their suffering and put their lives at risk unless pressure is exerted on the occupation to honor its commitments," Mardawi said in a statement.

"The only path forward is the full implementation of the agreement, starting with the second phase, which includes negotiations for a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal, reconstruction, and then the release of prisoners as part of a mutually agreed-upon deal," he underlined.

"This is what we insist on, and we will not back down," the senior official concluded.