Israel has decided to implement a proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza.
As per multiple outlets, the proposal was made by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
The extension is planned to cover the religious periods of Ramadan and Passover.
The announcement came shortly after the first phase of the ceasefire ended on Saturday.
As part of the agreement, 33 Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals were released from Gaza. In return, around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees were freed.
As per the reports, the extension of the ceasefire would delay the start of phase two which was meant to start discussions on a permanent end to the war.
Earlier on Saturday, Hamas stated that it rejected Israel’s version of the ceasefire extension and Hamas has not yet given a clear response to this plan, so it is still uncertain how the group will react.
As per the reports, discussions about Gaza’s long-term future have not yet made significant progress and the UN has estimated that rebuilding the enclave will take decades.
A statement from the Israeli prime minister's office, first published in Hebrew, outlined the conditions of the proposed ceasefire extension.
On the first day of the extension, half of the hostages and the bodies of those who died would be released.
If a permanent ceasefire agreement was reached by the end of the extension the remaining hostages and bodies would also be freed.
