US State Department cautioned on Wednesday that an extension of the proposed ceasefire in Gaza is still a possibility but is quickly disappearing with growing violence. The offer is to release five hostages, among them American citizen Edan Alexander, in return for a large number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
“The window is still open, but it’s closing rapidly,” a State Department official stressed, labeling the accord “compelling” and reaffirming US support for Israel.
The warning comes after Israeli troops resumed ground operations in Gaza amid fierce airstrikes for two days. At least 48 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday, and over 400 were killed the day before, ranking as one of the deadliest incidents since the war escalated in October 2023.
The renewed violence broke almost two months of relative peace under a ceasefire pact between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group ruling Gaza. The current violence is a result of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and saw an estimated 250 hostages abducted, as reported by Israeli authorities.
Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has led to more than 49,000 Palestinian casualties, the local health ministry claims. The fighting has internally displaced almost the whole 2.3 million-strong population of Gaza, creating an increasingly dire humanitarian situation characterized by acute hunger and infrastructure damage.
The bloodshed, which continues, has attracted global outrage, with accusations of genocide and war crimes leveled against Israel accusations the nation has strongly refuted. Diplomacy notwithstanding, the road to a long-term ceasefire is unsure as fighting continues.
