Israel, US aim to extend cease-fire while delaying start of talks to end war

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. As a cease-fire that halted a 15-month-long war nears its end on Saturday, Israel and the U.S. are trying to push Hamas to extend the first phase of the truce, delaying a discussion of the hardest parts of a pact that would see a complete end to the war.

The U.S., which is a key mediator in the talks, has said it is committed to reaching the second stage of the cease-fire and ending the war but needs more time to do so. President Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who previously helped seal the first stage of the cease-fire, is heading to the region this week to negotiate its continuation. “We have to get an extension of phase one and so I’ll be going into the region this week probably Wednesday to negotiate that," Witkoff told CNN on Sunday.

Hamas showed early signs it might be open to an extension. “Extending the first phase depends on what is put on the table and the guarantees of the occupation’s commitment," a Hamas spokesman said on Sunday. The move to extend the cease-fire comes as Israel and Hamas are at loggerheads over Israel’s refusal to release over 600 Palestinian prisoners as part of the terms of the deal.

On Saturday, after Hamas released the six remaining living hostages set to be freed in the first phase of the deal, Israel said it would temporarily withhold the corresponding Palestinian prisoners until Hamas ended what Israel called humiliating staged ceremonies. Hamas said the move was a violation of the deal and that it wouldn’t go ahead with releasing four dead bodies on Thursday, as per the deal’s terms. Sixty-two hostages, taken in the Oct.