January 23, 2026
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KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — Two foreign nationals have become the first individuals in Malaysia to be charged in court for littering under the newly enforced anti-littering law, according to a report by The Star.
JERUSALEM, March 2 – Israel announced today its support for a temporary extension of the truce in Gaza as an interim measure following the conclusion of the first phase of its ceasefire with Hamas.
The proposal, introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, would extend the truce through Ramadan, ending in late March, and Passover, lasting until mid-April, according to a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office released just after midnight.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was set to expire over the weekend, with no clear resolution for the second phase, which is aimed at establishing a more lasting end to the Gaza conflict. Ongoing negotiations have yet to yield a breakthrough, leaving the fate of hostages in Gaza and the lives of over two million Palestinians uncertain.
As per Israel’s statement, the proposed extension would see half of the remaining hostages released when the deal takes effect, with the rest freed at the conclusion if an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire. Hamas has yet to respond but had previously rejected an extension.
Israel’s support for what it termed a U.S. initiative comes amid international warnings against resuming the war, which has devastated Gaza, displaced nearly the entire population, and triggered a severe hunger crisis over the past 15 months.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned against a “catastrophic” return to war, emphasizing that a “permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages are essential to preventing further escalation and humanitarian disaster.”
Israeli negotiators engaged in talks with Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediators in Cairo last week, but by early yesterday, no agreement had been reached. Meanwhile, Muslims in Gaza observed the first day of Ramadan amid war-damaged neighborhoods illuminated by festive lights.
Hamas Hostage Negotiations
Under the six-week ceasefire that began on Jan 19, Gaza militants released 25 living hostages and returned the bodies of eight others in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The deal significantly slowed the war, which erupted after Hamas’s Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
While Hamas has repeatedly expressed willingness to negotiate a second phase, Israel has prioritized securing additional hostage releases through an extended first-phase truce. A Palestinian source close to the talks told AFP that Israel had proposed extending the initial phase in one-week increments to facilitate weekly hostage-prisoner exchanges, a plan Hamas rejected.
Of the 251 hostages taken during the Oct 7 attack, 58 remain in Gaza, including 34 whom the Israeli military believes to be dead.
Hamas’s armed wing recently released a video showing what appeared to be Israeli hostages, accompanied by the message: “Only a ceasefire agreement brings them back alive.” AFP has not independently verified the footage. Israeli officials denounced it as “cruel propaganda,” though the Hostages and Missing Families Forum confirmed that the Horn family, two of whose members appeared in the video, had approved its publication.
Israeli-Argentinian Yair Horn was freed on Feb 15, but his brother Eitan remains captive. The family urged decision-makers not to abandon the agreement, emphasizing that it had already led to the release of many hostages.
Political Tensions in Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces internal political pressure regarding the ceasefire’s next phase. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of a far-right coalition faction, has threatened to resign if military operations do not resume.
“The Israeli government could collapse if phase two begins,” warned Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at risk consultancy Le Beck International.
Israel has also signaled its intent to maintain a military presence in parts of Gaza near the Egyptian border to prevent Hamas from smuggling arms.
The truce has allowed more humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, where nearly 70 percent of buildings have been damaged or destroyed, millions have been displaced, and widespread hunger persists, according to the United Nations.
The conflict, which began with Hamas’s Oct 7 attack, has resulted in 1,218 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians. Israeli retaliation has since killed 48,388 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to figures from both sides. – AFP
