Photo: Depositphotos

Jerusalem, 2 March 2025 – Israel has accepted a proposal to temporarily extend the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after the first phase of the ceasefire with the Hamas group. According to AFP and dpa, the initiative belongs to US President Donald Trump’s Special Representative for the Middle East, Steve Whitkoff.

Holidays under the sign of a truce

According to the plan, the new ceasefire should cover the period of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends on 29 March, as well as the Jewish holiday of Passover, which will last from 12 to 20 April.

The Israeli leadership called the extension of the ceasefire an interim step that will avoid escalation of the situation during important religious events and create conditions for further negotiations on a full-fledged end to the war.

Hostages and terms of the deal

An important part of the agreements was the issue of the release of hostages. The Israeli side stated that:

– half of the hostages must be released on the day the ceasefire begins;

– the rest – at the end of the agreement, if the parties agree on a permanent ceasefire.

Hamas is silent

Despite the fact that Hamas has previously categorically rejected the possibility of extending the truce, there has been no official response to the new proposal. According to dpa, if the militants respond positively, Israel is ready to immediately begin negotiations on the details of the plan.

Will the ceasefire be sustainable?

Experts are cautiously assessing the prospects for the second phase of the truce, hoping that it could be a step towards a lasting peace in Gaza. However, they emphasise that everything depends on Hamas’ readiness to make concessions and real security guarantees for Israel.

Currently, the international community is closely monitoring the situation, waiting for an official response from the Palestinian side and an opportunity to resolve one of the most dangerous conflicts in the Middle East.