While we wait to hear from Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, here’s a reminder of where we’re at with the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
- 15 January: A long-awaited ceasefire is agreed by Israel and Gaza
- 19 January: The ceasefire’s first phase begins – fighting stops, Israeli hostage and Palestinian prisoner releases begin, and aid is allowed back into Gaza
- 10 February: After successful hostage releases in previous weeks, Hamas pauses the next release, claiming Israel violated the ceasefire
- 11 February: Netanyahu warns Hamas it will end the ceasefire if the next hostages are not returned, as planned, by 15 February
- 15 February: Hamas goes ahead with the hostage release, freeing Alexander Troufanov, 29, Yair Horn, 46, and Sagui Dekel-Chen, 26
- 1 March: The first phase of the ceasefire ends. Talks between Israel and Hamas begin in Qatar, to negotiate terms for a second stage, which would include a permanent ceasefire
- 2 March: Netanyahu says Israel has accepted a plan by US envoy Steve Witkoff “to extend the temporary ceasefire by 50 days” to discuss the second stage; Hamas says this is “a blatant attempt to evade the agreement and avoid entering into negotiations for the second phase”
- 18 March: The Israeli military says it is carrying out “extensive strikes” in the Gaza Strip, with the Hamas-run health ministry reporting more than 400 Palestinians killed. It marks the largest wave of air strikes in Gaza since the ceasefire began. https://bbc.in/41EwO6D
credit:BBC NEWS