Hamas today demanded the start of the second phase of the truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip, which would start today, but Israel prefers a plan to extend the truce until mid -April proposed by the United States in front of the deadlock.

“Israel adopts the plan of US President’s special envoy (Donald Trump) Steve Witkov for Temporary ceasefire during Ramadan periods (ed. Completed in late March) and the Jewish Easter (ed. to be celebrated in mid -April), “the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, which was issued shortly after midnight on Saturday on Sunday (local time and time in Greece).

Israel is ready to launch “immediately” negotiations “for all the details of the Witkov plan” with Hamas, the announcement added.

“The recent announcement of Netanyahu’s office clearly confirms that Occupation does not cease to withdraw from the agreements it has signed», Hamas official complained Mahmoud Mardawi In a statement to AFP.

“The only way to achieve stability in the region and the return of prisoners is to complete the implementation of the Agreement (…) starting with the implementation of the second phase,” which provides for the definitive end of the war in Gaza and the liberation of all hostages, Mardauy continued.

“We insist on it and we will not retreat,” he underlined.

“Constant maneuvers will not bring hostages back to their families (…) but on the contrary (…) will lead to the continuation of their suffering and threats to their lives,” Mardaui said.

According to Netanyahu’s office, Witkov presented his proposal after concluding that Hamas and Israel’s views cannot be bridged immediately And therefore it takes more time to succeed negotiations on reaching an agreement on a definitive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The plan of the American envoy provides for immediate surrender to Israel “half hostages, living and dead” that are still being held in Gaza, while others will be delivered at the end of the truce if an agreement has been reached for a definitive ceasefire.

A short time later, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that it has approved the hasty tradition of nearly $ 4 billion military aid to Israel.

The truce between Hamas and Israel came into force on January 19th after 15 months of bloody war, a trigger for which the unprecedented attack of the Palestinian organization against Israeli territory on October 7, 2023.

Agreement provides Three phases of 42 days each.

During the first phase, the Palestinian organization liberated 25 hostages in Gaza and returned eight hostages to Israel, in exchange for about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners.

The second phase of this fragile truce- which was achieved after the US, Qatar and Egyptian mediation and after months of painful negotiations- should normally start today. In the context of this Hamas’s last hostages would be released And many hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

The third phase will be dedicated to rebuilding of the Gaza Strip, with the UN assessing more than $ 53 billion the cost of this project.

The agreement contains an article that provides for the automatic extension of the first phase for as long as the talks for the latter last.

So far, Hamas insists on refusing to discuss anything other than the implementation of the second phase, in which the Israeli troops will be withdrawn from Gaza.

Israel on the side of refuses to commit to the second phasesaying that he prefers to extend the first, with new hostage releases every week in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

At the same time, Israel requires the complete demilitarization of Gaza and the elimination of Hamas. The Palestinian organization insists that it will remain in the enclave.

Netanyahu is also under pressure from his far -right allies in the government that is opposed to ending the war.

“It is of the utmost importance to make every effort to prevent the repetition of hostilities, which would be disastrous,” said Stephan Dizarik spokesman Antonio Guterres.

“A permanent truce and the liberation of all hostages is vital to avoid escalating and the additional devastating consequences for civilians,” he added.