First phase of Gaza ceasefire ends after Hamas rejects Israel’s extension request

• The Gaza ceasefire deal has reached the end of its first phase, with negotiations for the second phase just beginning. Israeli delegates left Egypt after initial talks, and Hamas rejected an Israeli proposal to extend the first phase, insisting on the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
• Hamas released a video of Israeli hostages, including Iair and Eitan Horn, following the breakdown of negotiations. Israeli officials criticized the video as propaganda.
• Israeli residents are urging the government to continue negotiations. The situation is tense as Ramadan begins, often leading to increased clashes in the region.

Full Story

The Gaza ceasefire deal has reached the end of the first phase but negotiations have barely begun on the second phase of the deal as it’s set to begin. As the negotiations continued, Hamas rejected an Israeli proposal to extend the first phase by an additional 42 days.

What’s the latest on the negotiations?

On Friday, Feb. 28, negotiators from all sides discussed how to begin the second phase of the ceasefire. However, Israeli delegates left Egypt, where talks were being held, by Friday night.

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

According to the BBC, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would continue negotiations at a distance. He also said he would hold late-night talks with the delegation, senior ministers and intelligence chiefs.

Israel said they would continue negotiations on Saturday, March 1, the day the second phase should’ve started. They had requested to extend the first phase. However, Hamas said anything that didn’t involve Israeli troops withdrawing from the area was a red line.

What was the video Hamas released?

Hamas released a video of Israeli hostages on Saturday following the breakdown of the negotiations. The video shows Iair Horn and his brother Eitan Horn. Both were taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks.

Iair Horn was released in a previous hostage release by Hamas on Feb. 15, during the first phase of the ceasefire plan. The video shows him saying goodbye to his brother before getting emotional that they will be separated again.

“I am very happy that my brother will be released tomorrow, but it is not logical in any way that families are being separated,” Eitan Horn said in the video.

He then tells his brother to do whatever he can to get the rest of them released.

“Tell mom, dad and everyone to continue with the demonstrations [for a hostages deal], that they shouldn’t stop and that the government should sign already onto the second and third phases of the deal to return all of us home,” Eitan Horn told his brother in the video.

Israeli officials criticized the video and called it Hamas propaganda.

What is the ceasefire deal?

The ceasefire was approved on Jan. 15. The first phase, which ended on Saturday, March 1, saw the release of dozens of Israeli Hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Besides the release of people, Israel allowed more aid and food trucks to be sent into Gaza. They’ve also pulled troops from some areas of Gaza.

The second phase of the deal would’ve seen Israeli forces leave Gaza entirely. Israeli officials said they did not feel comfortable leaving the Philadelphi corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border. They claimed Hamas would immediately use the area to smuggle guns and rearm.

The second phase would have also required the release of the remaining living Israeli hostages and the bodies of the hostages who had died while in captivity.

What’s next?

Israeli officials are continuing talks on Saturday but have not said if they intend to return to Cairo to continue negotiations with mediators.

Israeli residents rallied on Saturday to urge the government to continue negotiations and get the hostages back.

Get up to speed on the stories leading the day every weekday morning. Sign up for the newsletter today!

Learn more about our emails. Unsubscribe anytime.

Enter your email for newsletter updates Subscribe

By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.

This all comes as Ramadan, the holiest holiday in the Islamic religion, began on Friday, Feb. 28. Tensions often rise during this time in the region, with clashes between Israeli authorities and Muslim worshipers in Israel and Palestinian communities.