Israel endorses plan to extend Gaza truce as first phase draws to close

JERUSALEM — Israel endorsed a proposal on Sunday to temporarily extend the truce in Gaza as a bridging measure after the first phase of its ceasefire with Hamas drew to a close.

The first phase of a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas was set to expire over the weekend without any certainty as to the second phase, which is hoped to bring a more permanent end to the Gaza war.

Negotiations have so far been inconclusive, with the fate of hostages still held in Gaza and the lives of more than two million Palestinians hanging in the balance.

The extension, which according to the Israeli prime minister's office was put forward by US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, would last through Ramadan, due to end late March, and Passover in mid-April.

According to the Israeli statement, the extension would see half of the hostages still in Gaza released on the day the deal comes into effect, with the rest to be released at the end if agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire.

Hamas has previously rejected the idea of an extension in favour of moving on to phase two. 

"The only way to achieve stability in the region and the return of the prisoners is to complete the implementation of the agreement... starting with the implementation of the second phase," Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawisaid in a statement given to AFP on Sunday.

The standoff over how to proceed with the truce process comes as world leaders and international organisation urge against any resumption of fighting, which after 15 months devastated Gaza, displaced almost the entire population of the coastal strip and sparked a hunger crisis.

United Nations head Antonio Guterres warned against a "catastrophic" return to war and said a "permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages are essential to preventing escalation and averting more devastating consequences for civilians".

Meanwhile Washington announced late Saturday it was boosting its military aid to Israel.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was using "emergency authorities to expedite the delivery of approximately $4 billion in military assistance," noting that a partial arms embargo imposed under former president Joe Biden had been reversed.

Israeli officials engaged in ceasefire negotiations with Egyptian, Qatari and American mediators in Cairo last week. But by early Saturday there was no sign of consensus as Muslims in Gaza marked the first day of Ramadan with coloured lights brightening war-damaged neighbourhoods. 

A senior Hamas official told AFP the Palestinian militant group was prepared to release all remaining hostages in a single swap during the second phase.

"Hamas will not be happy to drag on phase one, but it doesn't really have the capacity to force Israel to go on to phase two," Max Rodenbeck, an analyst for the International Crisis Group, told AFP.