Israel has backed a US proposal to extend the ceasefire in Gaza through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish Passover holiday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel accepted the proposal from US President Donald Trump‘s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.
It said: ‘Israel adopts the plan of the US president’s envoy Steve Witkoff for a temporary truce for the periods of Ramadan due to end in late March and Pesach, the eight-day Jewish Passover to be observed in mid-April.’
The first phase of a ceasefire that took effect on January 19 expired on Saturday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘s office said Israel accepted a proposal to extend the ceasefire in Gaza
It came from US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff
A second phase of that deal was supposed to secure the release of dozens of hostages still in Gaza and pave the way for a more permanent end to the war.
According to Netanyahu’s office, Witkoff tabled this temporary extension as a stopgap after concluding that Israel and Hamas were at a negotiating impasse and could not immediately agree on the terms of a permanent ceasefire.
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