Hamas on US envoy Witkoff's proposal: We cannot accept a return to zero.

The first phase of the agreement ended on March 1 without agreement on subsequent phases, but open warfare has not resumed.

This phase lasted six weeks and allowed Hamas to release 33 Israeli prisoners, including eight dead, while Israel released approximately 1,800 Palestinian prisoners, including hundreds serving life sentences and long prison terms.

At the end of the first phase, Israel requested an extension until mid-April, but Hamas insists on moving to the second phase, which is supposed to bring an end to the war.

For his part, Witkoff rejected Hamas' proposal to release an Israeli-American prisoner and return the bodies of four other dual nationals. He told CNN that Hamas' ceasefire proposal was not a suitable basis for negotiations.

Witkov considered the response received from Hamas regarding the extension of the ceasefire in Gaza "completely unacceptable," revealing that the US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza includes the release of five living prisoners, including US-Israeli citizen Idan Alexander.

Israeli media reported a few days ago that Israel had offered to extend the ceasefire for 50 days in exchange for Hamas releasing some of the 58 living and dead prisoners still being held in Gaza.

(Al Jazeera)