The Israeli government has agreed to adopt a proposal by US envoy Steve Witkoff for a temporary ceasefire during the months of Ramadan and Passover, the Prime Minister's Office said. The decision was made during a special defense meeting headed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attended by Defense Minister Israel Katz, top defense officials, and the negotiating team. As part of the agreement, half of the hostages - alive and dead - will return to Israel on the first day of the agreement and at the end of the period, if an agreement for a permanent ceasefire is reached, the rest of the hostages, living and dead, will return to Israel. Witkoff proposed the plan due to an understanding that currently, there is no way to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas regarding the end of the war, and additional time is needed for talks on a permanent ceasefire. Related articles: 'Release the hostages or face hell' Hamas rejects Israel's hostage deal proposal Hamas tried to convince us to convert to Islam Hamas threatens MK Tzvi Succot The Prime Minister's Office stressed that though Hamas violated the agreements on the first stage of the ceasefire multiple times, Israel has stressed that it is not in violation of the deal. Under the agreement, if after 42 days of ceasefire the talks on the next steps do not bear fruit, Israel will be able to return to fighting. "This section is anchored in a letter from the previous US government and enjoys the support of the Trump administration as well," the statement added. The Prime Minister's Office also emphasized that Israel agreed to Witkoff's plan with the goal of bringing about the release of the hostages currently held by Hamas. However, Hamas is refusing the plan at this stage. If Hamas changes its mind, Israel will immediately agree to hold negotiations on the details of the proposal.