The Palestinian group Hamas has rejected Israel’s proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which is set to expire on March 1, according to reports from Egyptian broadcaster Al-Ghad.
Citing its sources, the channel reports that Hamas is insisting that talks on the second phase of the agreement begin immediately.
Earlier, Hamas officially declared its willingness to continue implementing the ceasefire agreements in Gaza and called on the international community to pressure Israel into swiftly moving to the next phase of the deal.
Meanwhile, Israel’s N12 News quoted an Israeli official who said that Israel would be open to extending the truce if Hamas releases additional hostages this Saturday. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also reiterated that Israel is prepared to prolong the ceasefire if it leads to the release of more hostages.
Talks on Gaza are still ongoing in Cairo, with delegations from Israel and Qatar at the table. According to Egypt’s State Information Service, US officials are also involved in the consultations. The discussions are expected to cover the next phases of the ceasefire deal and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the territory.
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Based on TASS materials