Hamas rejects Israel's request to extend first phase of Gaza ceasefire deal

Hamas has rejected an Israeli request to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire, a senior official has said.

The militant group will only release the remaining Israeli hostages under the terms of the already agreed-upon phased deal, Mahmoud Mardawi told Al Jazeera on Sunday.

Under a plan presented by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, which Israel has accepted, the first phase of the ceasefire agreement would continue through Ramadan and Passover, or until April 20.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said earlier that Israel would ban all goods and supplies to Gaza after claiming that Hamas was refusing to "accept Witkoff's outline for continuing talks, to which Israel agreed."

Hamas condemned the decision to block aid to the enclave, calling it "a war crime and a blatant attack" on a ceasefire that took a year of negotiations before it was implemented in January. Sky News.

Egypt's foreign minister, a key mediator in the conflict, said the plan was an attempt to use "starvation as a weapon" and "a flagrant and clear violation of humanitarian law."

While Saudi Arabia called Israel's decision "a tool of extortion."

The first phase of the ceasefire, which expired on Saturday, saw an increase in humanitarian aid after months of mounting hunger.

Negotiations for the second phase were supposed to begin a month ago, but have not yet begun.

Israel warned of "additional consequences" if Hamas refuses to agree to its proposal. /Telegraph/