Hamas has rejected a proposal by U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff to extend a first phase of the ceasefire and release more Israeli hostages.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday there would be no possibility of continuing the ceasefire without Hamas releasing hostages.
“We call on the U.S. administration to stop its bias and alignment with the fascist plans of war criminal Netanyahu,” Hamas said in a statement late on Sunday.
Newsweek reached out to Hamas and Netanyahu’s office for comment.
Why It Matters
If the ceasefire cannot be extended, it makes the resumption of fighting more likely. The United States has increased supplies of armaments to Israel ahead of another potential round of conflict.
Meanwhile, Israel has resumed the blockage of humanitarian aid into Gaza, threatening to worsen the humanitarian crisis in the territory that has been devastated by the war with Israel since Hamas launched a cross-border attack on October 7, 2023.
What to Know
Hamas said it would not release the remaining Israeli hostages captured in the attack unless negotiations for the second phase of the agreement begin, calling the aid halt a war crime and a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Photo by YOUSSEF ALZANOUN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
Hamas has released over a hundred Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The last of these exchanges happened days before the first phase of the ceasefire agreement ended on March 1, 2025.
Several Arab countries have condemned Israel’s aid blockade, calling it a violation of humanitarian law. The United Nations warned of grave humanitarian consequences for the nearly two million population of the Gaza Strip.
What People Are Saying
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres: “It is imperative that all efforts be made to prevent a return to hostilities. A permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages are essential to preventing escalation and averting more devastating consequences for civilians. Humanitarian aid must continue to flow, without impediment, ensuring the safety and security of civilians and humanitarian workers.”
Israel’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Eli Cohen: “Israel has many pressure tools and halting aid is a first step. Returning to war is an option but it is not Israel’s goal.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry: “The Zionist entity has been using starvation in recent months as a tool to carry out genocide against the Palestinians. Israel’s prevention of aid reaching the people of Gaza is part of the genocide against the Palestinians.”
What Happens Next
Israel is planning to halt electricity supplies to Gaza as the next step to put pressure on Hamas, Israeli media reported Monday.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is traveling to Cairo to participate in summit-level talks on Gaza’s reconstruction, which will be held on Tuesday and organized by Arab leaders.