Gaza war: Israel extends Gaza ceasefire for six weeks amid ongoing hostage negotiations
The Israeli government has approved a temporary extension of the ceasefire in Gaza for the next six weeks, covering the Muslim Ramadan and Jewish Passover periods.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the decision shortly after the first phase of the ceasefire expired at midnight on Saturday. The extension follows a proposal by US envoy Steve Witkoff, under which Hamas would release half of the hostages still held in Gaza—both alive and deceased—on the first day. The remaining hostages would be freed only if an agreement on a permanent ceasefire is reached.
Hamas has yet to publicly respond to the Israeli decision.
The Israeli cabinet approved the extension following a four-hour meeting convened by Netanyahu. His office stated that Hamas “has so far refused” to accept the Witkoff plan, but Israel would begin negotiations immediately if the group changed its stance.
The US envoy’s proposal allows Israel to resume military operations after 42 days if negotiations for a second phase fail.
On Friday night, Hamas insisted it would not agree to an extension of phase one without guarantees from American, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators that phase two—including the release of all remaining hostages and an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza—would take place.
Hamas reportedly appears determined to maintain its influence in Gaza, though it may consider ceding administrative control to other Palestinian actors, including the Palestinian Authority.
The first phase of the ceasefire, which took effect on 19 January, ended on Saturday. It brought a halt to 15 months of fighting between Hamas and the Israeli military, facilitating the release of 33 Israeli and five Thai hostages in exchange for approximately 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
However, negotiations for phase two have made little progress. Currently, 24 hostages are believed to be alive, while another 39 are presumed dead.
Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel retaliated with an extensive air and ground campaign in Gaza, where at least 48,365 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
