3/3/2025–|Last update: 2/3/202503:55 am (Mecca time)
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel had accepted the contours of the plan proposed by American envoy Stephen Witkev for a temporary cease-fire in Gaza, during the month of Ramadan and Jewish Easter (April 12-20), a plan that has not been previously announced by Witakouf.
In a statement published after a security meeting led by Netanyahu, with the participation of the Minister of Security, senior military leaders and the negotiation team, Netanyahu Diwan said that – according to a proposal and Witakouf – the liberation of half of the Israeli prisoners held in Gaza, in the districts and the dead, during the first day of the proposed armistice.
The press release added that if an agreement is concluded on a permanent ceasefire, the second half of the prisoners in Gaza will be released.
Like Aviv – according to Israeli media – estimates the presence of 62 Israeli prisoners in Gaza (some of them are alive and some have died), while the Palestinian factions have not announced the number of their prisoners.
Stretch calm
In his statement, Netanyahu Diwan said Witkeov said his plan aims to extend the truce, since current circumstances did not allow a final agreement to end the war, which calls for more time to carry out negotiations in a long -term truce.
However, the Netanyahu’s office said that the new agreement gives Israel the right to resume the fighting after 42 days if it sees that the negotiations are not progressing.
He said that Israel had accepted the American proposal in order to restore his families, but Hamas has not yet accepted it, as he said.
He added that if the movement changes its position and has accepted a Witakouf plan, Israel will immediately enter into negotiations on the details of the plan.
It was not immediately issued by Hamas or the Egyptian mediators and Qatari, nor comments this Israeli declaration.
Offer that Hamas confirmed on Friday, its commitment to implement all the conditions for the cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of prisoners with the end of the first stage. The movement called for mediators to put Israel to enter the second step immediately.
Security meeting
On the other hand, Canal 13 Israeli 13 reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had held a security meeting on the exchange agreement, which lasted 4 hours.
Axius cited a senior Israeli official saying that Netanyahu sought to make decisions to respond to Hamas’ refusal to extend the first step.
Friday, the Israeli Channel 13 cited familiar sources with what happened during the security consultations session held by Netanyahu, that it was decided to authorize negotiations without taking up the fighting in the coming days despite the lack of agreement to release more prisoners.
The end of the first step
Yesterday evening, Saturday, the first stage of the cease-fire agreement ended, when it was to start the 16th day of the first stage of the agreement (February 3), negotiations for the second stage.
Netanyahu obstructed this, as he wanted to extend the first internship of the exchange deal to release the large possible number of israeli prisoners in Gaza, without Providing Any Compensation for that or Completing the entitlements imposed on it in the Agrement During the Last Period, Which Hamas Rejection, Compulsory by what was stipulative in the ceasefire agrement, and invites Brokers to start Immodery the Negotiations of the Second Stage of What It Covers from the israeli withdrawal from the Sector and Stopping the War Completyly.
On January 19, a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of prisoners between Hamas and Israel began, including 3 stages, each of 42 days, and during the first, negotiations will be carried out at the start of the second and third, through Egypt and Qatar and support the United States.