CAIRO, March 14. /TASS/. The ceasefire in the Gaza Strip between the Palestinian movement Hamas and Israeli forces may be extended until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends on March 29 this year, the Alsumaria TV channel reported.

This proposal is contained in the updated plan of the American side, which was outlined at consultations on the settlement of the situation in the Palestinian enclave by US Special Envoy Steven Witkoff, which are taking place in Qatar.

As the TV channel's sources informed, according to Witkoff's new initiative, the ceasefire between the radicals of Gaza and Israel may be extended for at least two weeks, until the end of the month of Ramadan. At the same time, on the very first day of the extension of the ceasefire, Hamas will have to release "at least five remaining hostages" and hand over "at least nine bodies of Israelis" who are in Gaza with the radicals.

During the same period, according to Whitkoff's proposal, the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza will resume. Earlier, the American side insisted on the release of about 10 remaining hostages and the transfer of at least 18 bodies. According to the US representatives who are in consultations in Doha, an additional two-week truce will allow the conflicting parties to "discuss and agree on the terms of a further long-term truce" in Gaza. If the parties can agree, then on the very first day of the "long-term truce", according to the proposal of the American side, all hostages remaining in Gaza should be released even before the agreement on a complete ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave comes into effect.

According to the latest data, 59 people previously captured by the radicals remain in Gaza. Twenty two of them are still alive, including a US citizen, 35 are dead, and there is no reliable information about the fate of two more hostages. According to the TV channel's sources, the Israeli side has positively received Witkoff's updated proposal, and the mediators at the talks in Qatar are waiting for Hamas's reaction to this initiative.

Consultations in Doha

A new round of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas began in Doha on March 12, with Qatar as the mediator and US administration officials taking part. Later, a representative of the radical Palestinian movement, Hazem Qasim, said that Hamas is not inclined to resume hostilities in Gaza, but is prepared for such a development. He added that, in his words, the movement "abides by the agreements reached earlier" and is ready to move on to the second stage of the deal.

On January 15, Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages held in the enclave. The agreement, consisting of three stages, came into force on January 19. The first phase expired on March 1. All 33 Israeli hostages who were supposed to be freed within the agreement’s first stage, including the deceased, were returned home. In turn, Israel released over 1,500 Palestinian prisoners, with some of them sent outside of Palestinian territories.