عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Israel Agrees on US Plan for Temporary Ceasefire in Gaza, PM’s Office Says

Palestinians gather for a communal iftar, or fast-breaking meal, on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid building rubble in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 1, 2025. (AFP)
Palestinians gather for a communal iftar, or fast-breaking meal, on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid building rubble in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 1, 2025. (AFP)
TT
TT

Israel Agrees on US Plan for Temporary Ceasefire in Gaza, PM’s Office Says

Palestinians gather for a communal iftar, or fast-breaking meal, on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid building rubble in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 1, 2025. (AFP)
Palestinians gather for a communal iftar, or fast-breaking meal, on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid building rubble in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 1, 2025. (AFP)

Israel will adopt the proposal by US President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza for the Ramadan and Passover periods, the prime minister's office said early on Sunday, hours after the first phase of the previously agreed ceasefire was set to expire.

On the first day of Witkoff's proposal, half of the hostages held in Gaza, both alive and dead, will be released, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said, adding the remaining hostages will also be released after a permanent ceasefire was agreed.

Witkoff made the proposal to extend the current ceasefire after realizing more time was needed for talks on a permanent ceasefire, Netanyahu's office added.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem earlier on Saturday said the group rejected Israel's "formulation" of extending the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, but did not explicitly mention Witkoff's plan.

Netanyahu's office said Israel would immediately conduct negotiations on Witkoff's plan if Hamas agreed to it.

"According to the agreement, Israel can return to fighting after the 42nd day if it feels that the negotiations are ineffective," Netanyahu's office also said, accusing Hamas of violating the deal. Both sides have been trading accusations of violating the deal.

Two Palestinian officials familiar with the negotiation told Reuters that Israel refused to enter the second phase of the agreement or start negotiations about it.

Instead, Israel requested an extension of the first phase, conditioned on the handover of a number of living prisoners and bodies for each week of extension.

Hamas, however, rejected and insisted on adhering to the agreement, entering the second phase, and obliging Israel to what was agreed upon.

On Saturday, Hamas's armed wing posted a video showing Israeli hostages still in its custody in Gaza and stressed that the remaining hostages can only be freed through a swap deal as stated in the phased ceasefire agreement that began on January 19.

The ceasefire agreement halted 15 months of fighting, allowing the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. It was meant to lead to subsequent talks to build on the ceasefire deal.

Talks about the ceasefire have been ongoing, most recently in Cairo, but have not led to an agreement.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Israel: Missile Fired from Yemen

A Houthi member mans a machine gun on a pickup truck while on patrol during a rally in solidarity with Iran in Sanaa, Yemen, 27 March 2026. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
A Houthi member mans a machine gun on a pickup truck while on patrol during a rally in solidarity with Iran in Sanaa, Yemen, 27 March 2026. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
TT
TT

Israel: Missile Fired from Yemen

A Houthi member mans a machine gun on a pickup truck while on patrol during a rally in solidarity with Iran in Sanaa, Yemen, 27 March 2026. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
A Houthi member mans a machine gun on a pickup truck while on patrol during a rally in solidarity with Iran in Sanaa, Yemen, 27 March 2026. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB

Israel’s military said early Saturday that it had detected a missile fired from Yemen, the first since the Iran war began.

Yemen’s Houthis so far had stayed out of the war.

Hours earlier, the Houthis said they were prepared to act if what the group called an escalation against Iran and the "axis of resistance" continued, but did not say what form any intervention would take.

“We affirm that our fingers are on the trigger for direct military intervention,” Houthi spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said Friday during a video statement in a first appearance since the Iran war began.

Houthi involvement in the war would risk broadening the conflict.

Arab World

Arab Parliament Speaker Condemns Continued Iranian Attacks on Arab States

Arab Parliament Speaker Condemns Continued Iranian Attacks on Arab States
TT
TT

Arab Parliament Speaker Condemns Continued Iranian Attacks on Arab States

Arab Parliament Speaker Condemns Continued Iranian Attacks on Arab States

Arab Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Yamahi condemned the continued systematic Iranian terrorist attacks against several Arab states, describing them as a flagrant violation of international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter, as well as a direct threat to regional security and stability, SPA reported.

He said in a statement that the attacks carried out by Iran since the outbreak of the war, using missiles and drones, reflect a recurring hostile approach that disregards state sovereignty and the safety of civilians.

He stressed that the targeting of infrastructure facilities and the resulting casualties reveal a clear disregard for international humanitarian law and reflect a determination to undermine security and stability in the region.

The Arab Parliament speaker held the Iranian regime fully responsible for these acts and their repercussions, calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities and take a firm and immediate stance to halt these violations and end the aggressive policies threatening regional and international peace and security.

Al-Yamahi also renewed the Arab Parliament’s full support for the measures taken by the targeted Arab states to preserve their security and stability, safeguard their sovereignty, and act in accordance with international law and their legitimate right to self-defense.

Arab World

Iraq Pushes to Centralize War Powers Under State Control

Relatives of a soldier killed in an airstrike on Habbaniyah base carry the Iraqi flag during his funeral (AFP)
Relatives of a soldier killed in an airstrike on Habbaniyah base carry the Iraqi flag during his funeral (AFP)
TT
TT

Iraq Pushes to Centralize War Powers Under State Control

Relatives of a soldier killed in an airstrike on Habbaniyah base carry the Iraqi flag during his funeral (AFP)
Relatives of a soldier killed in an airstrike on Habbaniyah base carry the Iraqi flag during his funeral (AFP)

Iraqi security sources reported a breakthrough in investigations into rocket and drone attacks on diplomatic and security sites, as political and legal pressure intensifies to confine decisions of war and peace to the state.

A security source familiar with the probe told Asharq Al-Awsat that authorities have begun identifying those behind the launches. The information was obtained after the arrest of three members of an armed faction, who were already subject to arrest warrants.

Security forces also detained another group suspected of involvement in attacks targeting the US embassy in Baghdad, the source said.

More arrest warrants are expected as investigators pursue others suspected of carrying out rocket and drone attacks in violation of the law.

Judicial warnings

The government has not named those responsible, but armed factions have repeatedly claimed similar operations through statements and online platforms, complicating the security landscape and weakening state control over weapons.

The developments follow a warning from Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan of “serious repercussions” from unilateral military decisions by factions and non-official entities. He said such actions violate the constitution and risk exposing Iraq to international isolation and sanctions.

Zidan said declaring a state of war requires a constitutional process, including approval by two-thirds of parliament based on a joint request from the president and prime minister.

The escalation underscores growing tension between the state and armed factions, as authorities seek to reassert institutional control amid rising domestic and international criticism over fragmented security decision-making and continued attacks on diplomatic missions.

Regional war dynamics

Officials describe the situation as indirect involvement in the region’s “geography of war,” with repeated attacks on sites linked to the US presence in Baghdad and Erbil, alongside airstrikes on military positions inside Iraq.

Since the start of the Middle East war, Iraqi factions have claimed attacks on US interests.

Iran has struck Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq, while sites linked to the Popular Mobilization Forces and Iran-aligned factions have been hit by airstrikes attributed to the United States and Israel.

War powers debate

Calls are growing within Iraq to reaffirm that decisions of war and peace rest solely with constitutional institutions.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said the government is “the sole authority” empowered to take such decisions, despite operating in a caretaker capacity following recent parliamentary changes.

The Foreign Ministry reiterated Baghdad’s firm rejection of any attacks targeting Gulf states, stressing solidarity with sister countries and commitment to their security and stability. It said Gulf security is inseparable from Iraq’s national security and that regional stability serves all.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan have condemned attacks by Iran-aligned Iraqi factions on regional countries and infrastructure, calling them violations of international law.

Energy risks

President Abdul Latif Rashid reiterated Iraq’s rejection of war, voicing deep concern over the widening conflict and calling for an immediate halt to military operations and a return to dialogue.

In a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Rashid said continued war serves no country in the region and threatens Middle East stability.

He added that Iraq, both its people and government, calls for peace and expresses solidarity with the Iranian people, praising their resilience in the face of “attacks.”

In Geneva, Iraq’s mission to the United Nations warned that expanding the conflict would deepen crises and undermine stability. Jaafar Mohammed, second secretary at Iraq’s mission, cautioned that disruptions to energy supply chains through the Strait of Hormuz could have global economic repercussions.