Hamas likely to agree to release more hostages in phase one of deal, Israeli officials tell ‘Post’
Israel assumes that Hamas will agree to release additional hostages as part of the current phase of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, two Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post.
Extending the first phase of the deal after its 42 days are up is being considered. An extension would involve the release of four male hostages – who are all fathers – and others who are critically wounded, in exchange for prolonging the ceasefire during Ramadan, according to an official.
The holy month is expected to begin on Friday evening. The first phase of the deal expires on March 1, at which point Israel and Hamas would return to war.
“Hamas, for now, wants the deal to continue,” the officials told the Post following a four-hour meeting on Saturday night. “It’s in their interests. They want more convoys and heavy equipment to enter Gaza, and they don’t want to be the side – at this point – that causes the deal to collapse.”
US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that the US expects the second phase to advance.
Witkoff made the comment in a CNN interview when asked about Israel’s decision to postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners.
“We have to get an extension of phase one,” he said. “I’ll be going to the region this week, probably Wednesday, to negotiate that.”
In a later interview with CBS News, Witkoff said the second phase means ending the war and excluding Hamas from any future government. The agreement was already signed at the end of last May, he said. He added that everything is still under discussion.
Witkoff said he would be in the Middle East for five days. He will travel to Qatar, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
He also mentioned American hostage Edan Alexander in his interview with CBS, saying the US administration is in “frequent contact” with his family. He said he believes the Trump administration will succeed in releasing Alexander from captivity.
Hostage deal
Since the beginning of phase one, 29 Israeli hostages have been released, as well as an additional five Thai hostages.
On Saturday night, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that Israel will postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners until more Israeli hostages are freed, citing Hamas’s repeated violations of the deal.
Hamas on Sunday condemned Israel’s decision, saying its claim that the hostages’ handover ceremonies are “humiliating” was false and a pretext to evade Israel’s obligations under the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Hamas stated, “We will not engage in talks with Israel until it releases the 600 Palestinian terrorists from prison.”
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