The first phase of the ceasefire expired on Saturday, and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Hamas had so far refused to accept a temporary extension under a proposal by Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff. A Hamas spokesman said blocking supplies to Gaza was "cheap blackmail”, and urged mediators to intervene. The initial phase of the ceasefire halted 15 months of fighting between Hamas and the Israeli military, allowing the release of 33 Israeli and five Thai hostages for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. But negotiations on phase two, including the release of all remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, have barely begun.
