Hamas spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, expressed in a statement his rejection of Israel's proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. He deemed this proposal unacceptable, stating that the occupation is attempting to "bring things back to square one." Qassem emphasized that the extension of this phase goes against the text of the agreement and seeks to recover Israeli hostages, with the possibility of resuming aggression in the Gaza Strip.
The Hamas spokesperson pointed out that negotiations on the second phase of the agreement have not begun and accused Israel of evading its commitment to end the war and completely withdraw from Gaza. He also reported that on Friday, according to an Egyptian security source, an Israeli delegation proposed in Cairo to extend the first phase of the ceasefire agreement for an additional 42 days.
Last Saturday, the initial 42-day phase of the three-stage agreement between Hamas and Israel expired without any announcement of progress towards the next phase. Hamas believes that the extension proposed by Israel is an attempt to modify the agreed-upon conditions and has made it clear that they consider this proposal unacceptable and contrary to what was previously agreed.
