Israel has introduced what it said was a new U.S. ceasefire plan and is trying to force Hamas to accept it by imposing a siege on the Gaza Strip. The plan is different from the one the two sides agreed to in January. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to it as the “Witkoff proposal.” He says it came from U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff. But the White House has yet to confirm that. Netanyahu’s remarks came a day after the first phase of the negotiated ceasefire ended, with no clarity on what would come next since the agreement’s second phase has not yet been hammered out. The new plan would require Hamas to release half its remaining hostages in exchange for a ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.
