US proposes ‘bridge’ to extend Gaza ceasefire: White House
Washington says its “bridge” plan aims to extend the ceasefire in Gaza into April beyond Ramadan and Passover.
It will allow time to negotiate a permanent cessation of hostilities, the White House also said in a statement.
The proposal was presented on Wednesday by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Council official Eric Trager, according to a statement issued by their offices.
“Through our Qatari and Egyptian partners, Hamas was told in no uncertain terms that this “bridge” would have to be implemented soon — and that dual US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander would have to be released immediately,” it added.
What ceasefire? Daily killings and air strikes continue, aid completely cut off, that's not a ceasefire.
Ninety-eight people killed by Israel in Gaza since truce started
According to a tally by Al Jazeera relying on Gaza Health Ministry data, Israel killed 23 Palestinians and wounded eight in the enclave in January after the ceasefire went into effect on the 20th of the month.
In February, 31 people were killed with 16 wounded while 44 were killed and two wounded from March 1 until today.
Accordingly, the confirmed death toll caused by Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023, stands at 48,529 killed and 111,955 wounded.
Witkoff’s proposal buys time as Hamas, Israel disagree on ending Gaza war
Israel does not want to talk about phase two of the ceasefire agreement because it does not want to touch the idea of ending the war, while Hamas insists on talking about ending the war.
What US special envoy Steve Witkoff did was put forward a bridging proposal to secure the release of some Israeli captives while maintaining an open dialogue between the parties.
What we’re seeing from Hamas now is a show of goodwill towards the Trump administration, because the captive who will be released, Edan Alexander, is Israeli American and the bodies of captives set to be handed back also belong to dual nationals.
This proposal has created a lot of panic among the families of the Israeli captives who feel left out, who feel this agreement puts the lives of their relatives in danger. The Israeli prime minister has accused Hamas of not respecting Witkoff’s proposal and a cabinet meeting is expected to take place on Saturday.
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