Shimon Or, uncle of Avinatan Or, who was taken hostage by Hamas to the Gaza Strip, has vehemently opposed the US proposal to extend the ceasefire.
"This is a difficult morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government are proposing an agreement that is going to murder Avinatan and all the other hostages. He (Netanyahu) knows that Hamas will not release most of the hostages because it needs them, in order to stay 'alive,'" Or said in an interview with Kan Reshet Bet.
Or added, "The families have been forced to market themselves and form a sign of life in order to promote themselves in line of hostage release. Pictures of the hostages were published and Avinatan was painted in the color of the dead, because we didn't join the 'Sign of Life' campaign. In some places Avinatan doesn't even appear on the list of photos."
"Now there is a ceasefire without compensation, as long we don't enter Gaza, Hamas is getting days of grace without any compensation. Without an ultimatum, nothing moves in the Middle East. They are being cruel to the families of the fallen soldiers who are seeing that everything is being lost, the families who were hurt by the terrorists who are being released – and whoever is next in line."
According to the plan, the ceasefire will be extended over Ramadan and Passover, during which half of the hostages will be released.
According to the PM’s Office’s announcement, when the ceasefire goes into effect, already on its first day, half of the hostages are expected to be released, alive and dead. In addition, if agreements are reached regarding a permanent ceasefire, the rest of the abductees will be released. However, the Hamas terror organization rejects the plan.
The outline was proposed by Trump's envoy Steve Whitkoff. "Witkoff proposed the outline for extending the ceasefire after getting the impression that at this stage there is no possibility of bridging the positions of the parties to end the war, and that more time is needed for talks on a permanent ceasefire," the statement said.
The announcement also stressed that the possibility of returning to combat was not off the table. "While Hamas has repeatedly violated the agreement, Israel is not in violation. According to the agreement, Israel can return to fighting after the 42nd day if it feels that the negotiations are ineffective. This clause was supported by a side letter from the previous US administration and also received the support of the Trump administration."
Hamas expressed opposition to the outline: "Israel repeatedly evades the agreements it signed. This ongoing manipulation will not return the abductees to their families, on the contrary, it will continue their suffering and endanger their lives."
According to the PM’s announcement, as the ceasefire goes into effect, already on its first day, half of the hostages, both alive and dead, are due to be released. In addition, if agreements are reached for a permanent ceasefire, the remaining hostages will be released. However, Hamas has rejected the plan.
The outline was proposed by US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Whitkoff. "Witkoff proposed the outline for extending the ceasefire after feeling that at this stage there was no chance of bridging the sides and ending the war, and that more time is needed for talks on a permanent ceasefire," it was reported.
The announcement also stressed that the possibility of returning to combat was not off the table. "While Hamas has repeatedly violated the agreement, Israel has not, and according to the agreement, Israel can return to fighting after the 42nd day if it feels that the negotiations are ineffective. This clause was supported by a auxiliary letter from the previous US administration which was also supported by the Trump administration."
Hamas responded to the outline: "Israel has repeatedly evaded the agreements it signed. This ongoing manipulation will not return the hostages to their families, on the contrary, it will continue their suffering and endanger their lives."