US gives a stop gap proposal to get to April 20th….
The issue of Hamas IS still an impediment to end the conflict….
Israel’s government said early Sunday it supports a proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza through Ramadan and Passover, though Hamas has insisted on negotiating the truce’s second phase instead.
The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office came minutes after the first phase ended, and as talks have begun on starting the second phase that’s aimed at ending the war and seeing all remaining living hostages in Gaza returned home.
The statement gives new details on what Israel described as a U.S. proposal: A ceasefire extension through Passover, or April 20. On the first day, half the hostages, alive and dead, would be released. The rest would be released if agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire.
The statement said it was proposed after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff got “the impression that at this stage there was no possibility of bridging the positions of the parties to end the war, and that more time was needed for talks on a permanent ceasefire.”
Israel’s new statement says it can return to fighting “if it believes that the negotiations are ineffective,” and it noted Hamas’ refusal to accept the proposal for an extension of the first phase.
However, “if Hamas changes its position, Israel will immediately enter into negotiations on all the details of the Witkoff plan,” the statement says….
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According to Israel, 32 of the 59 hostages still in Gaza are dead….
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Other challenges complicate the ceasefire’s future. Israel has said Hamas cannot be involved in governing Gaza after the war. Netanyahuhas also ruled out any role in Gaza for the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, dominated by Hamas’ main rival, Fatah.
Hamas leader Mohamed Darwish on Saturday reiterated the group is willing to hand over power to a Palestinian national consensus government or an Egypt-proposed body of technocrats not aligned with Hamas or Fatah. His comments came in an open letter to next week’s summit of Arab leaders in Cairo. Hamas has dismissed Israel’s suggestion that its leadership go into exile…..
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