Gaza Ceasefire Extension Secures Six More Weeks
On March 1, 2025, at 5:17 AM PST, Israel approved a Gaza ceasefire extension for six weeks, spanning Ramadan and Passover, announced Netanyahu’s office post the first phase’s midnight Saturday end. Under Steve Witkoff’s U.S. plan, half of Hamas-held hostages—24 alive, 39 presumed dead—exit day one; the rest hinge on a permanent ceasefire deal, unmet yet by Hamas’s silence, per X posts. After a four-hour cabinet meet, Israel greenlit this—Netanyahu claims Hamas balks, but talks resume if they budge. Phase One, since January 19, freed 33 Israeli and 5 Thai hostages for 1,890 Palestinians; Phase Two’s troop pullout stalls.
Hamas’s Friday night stance—no extension sans Phase Two guarantees from U.S., Qatar, Egypt—clashes with Israel’s refusal to cede Philadelphi corridor or let Hamas rearm, BBC’s Paul Adams reports from Jerusalem. Witkoff’s 42-day buffer lets Israel fight if talks flop—Hamas eyes governance via the Palestinian Authority, not surrender. October 7, 2023’s 1,200 dead, 251 taken sparked Israel’s campaign—48,365 killed, per Gaza’s Hamas-run tally—halted by Phase One. At 5:17 AM PST, 24 alive await; Israel’s move tests Hamas—will it bend, or break the fragile peace?
Gaza Ceasefire Extension: Hostages in Limbo
Gaza ceasefire extension—6 weeks, half out—leaves 63 hostages’ fate unclear. Hamas holds firm; Israel eyes control. Witkoff’s plan teeters—war looms. For more, visit BBC or Kenkou Land.
Main Body: A Tense Truce Stretches Thin
Today, March 1, 2025, at 5:17 AM PST, the Gaza ceasefire extension kicks in—Israel’s cabinet, after four hours Friday, nods to six more weeks, per Netanyahu’s midnight call post-Phase One’s end. Witkoff’s deal—half of 63 hostages (24 alive, 39 dead) freed day one, rest tied to a Phase Two Hamas won’t back—dangles hope; Netanyahu’s “Hamas refuses” jab awaits their reply, per X. Phase One’s January 19 start swapped 33 Israelis, 5 Thais for 1,890 Palestinians—15 months of war paused—yet Phase Two’s IDF exit and 24 alive lag, Adams notes.
Hamas’s “no guarantees, no extension” Friday retort—via U.S., Qatar, Egypt—meets Israel’s Philadelphi grip; 2023’s 1,200 slain, 251 snatched fuel Netanyahu’s “no rearming” line. Gaza’s 48,365 dead—Hamas tallies—haunt a truce; Witkoff’s 42-day fight clause looms if talks die. At 5:17 AM PST, Israel’s Ramadan-Passover play tests Hamas—63 fates, 2 million Palestinians teeter. Will talks thaw, or war flare? Ceasefire’s thread—fragile—stretches, not snaps, yet.
