DOHA, March 2. /TASS/. Israel has demanded via the mediators that Hamas release five Israeli hostages and hand over ten bodies in exchange for a week-long extension of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the Qatari-based Al Jazeera television channel reported, adding that Hamas has turned down the new deal.
"Israel demanded that Hamas release five alive hostages and return ten bodies n exchange for [the release] and Palestinian prisoners and the expansion of humanitarian deliveries," the TV channel quoted its sources. According to the sources, Israel’s initiative envisages a week-long extension of the first phase of the ceasefire deal.
The sources said that talks on this matter have been held by the Israeli delegation with mediators in the past 48 hours. "Via mediators, Israel demanded that Hamas respond to these terms until midnight in Friday (February 28 - TASS)," the sources said, adding that Hamas had notified the mediators that it rejected Israel’s terms, slamming them as "a violation of the existing agreements." Hamas has reportedly stressed its commitment to the original deal.
The Kan broadcaster said in the morning o March 2, citing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office that the Israeli army had blocked humanitarian deliveries to the Gaza Strip and closed all checkpoints along the enclave’s border. The step was taken following Hamas’ refusal to accept the plan for the Gaza ceasefire extension offered by US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Netanyahu’s office said earlier that Israel accepts Witkoff’s temporary ceasefire plan during Ramadan (until March 29) and Passover (from April 12 through 19). Under the plan, Palestinian groups are to release half of the hostages and hand over the bodies of those dead on the first day and release the remaining hostages, living and dead, at the end, if an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire.
In mid-January, Israel and Hamas reached an Egypt-, Qatar-, and US-brokered three-stage agreement to release the hostages held in Gaza and declare a ceasefire in the enclave. The three-phase deal took effect on January 19. The initial 42-day phase of the ceasefire ended on March 1. All the living Israeli hostages and the bodies of those deceased that were supposed to be handed over in the first stage have been returned to Israel. In exchange, Israel released over 1,500 Palestinian prisoners.