Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced on Thursday that his country is ready to extend the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of more prisoners.

On January 19, a ceasefire agreement in Gaza went into effect, comprising three phases, each lasting 42 days.

While negotiations for the second phase of the agreement were supposed to begin on the 16th day of the first phase of the agreement (February 3), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu obstructed this, as he wants to extend the first phase with the aim of contributing to the release of the largest number of his country’s prisoners in Gaza.

Netanyahu also fears entering the second phase of the agreement, which stipulates ending the war of extermination and the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, for fear of the collapse of his government coalition, which includes ministers from the extreme right who reject this step.

The first phase of the agreement is expected to be completed by next Saturday.

Regarding this, Sa'ar said, in a press conference in West Jerusalem with his Czech counterpart, Jan Lipavsky: "We are prepared to extend the time frame (for the first stage of the agreement) in exchange for the return of more kidnapped (Israeli prisoners)," according to what was reported by the private Hebrew Channel 12.

He considered that "it is better to discuss this matter in more detail after the return of the Israeli negotiating delegation," referring to the delegation that is leaving for Cairo today, Thursday.

Sa'ar explained that the Israeli negotiating delegation will discuss in Cairo the possibility of finding "common ground" to extend the first phase of the agreement "in exchange for the release of more kidnapped soldiers."

For its part, the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported, quoting an unnamed Israeli official, that the negotiating delegation that will leave for Cairo today has a main goal, which is "achieving the release of living hostages next Saturday."

The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement stipulated the release of 33 Israeli prisoners, living and dead, which the Palestinian factions actually fulfilled, releasing 25 living prisoners and 8 bodies in 8 batches.

According to Israeli data, there are still 59 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, at least half of whom are believed to be alive.

The Israeli negotiating delegation is headed by the Coordinator for Prisoners and Missing Persons Affairs, Gal Hirsch, in addition to a senior security figure from the General Security Service (Shabak).

The first phase of the ceasefire agreement was supposed to include Israel's complete withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border.

However, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted an Israeli official (unnamed) as confirming that Israel "will not withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor."

In a related context, the Authority said that the United States and Israel are holding talks to discuss the possibility of extending the first phase of the exchange deal for several additional weeks.

In turn, the private Hebrew newspaper "Israel Today" reported that "Israel submitted a request to the mediators to increase the number of hostages released in each stage as a condition for extending the first stage, in addition to continuing the ceasefire and bringing aid into Gaza, including mobile homes."

Hebrew media outlets are reporting that Netanyahu promised the Religious Zionism party, headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, not to move to the second stage of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza in order to convince him to remain in the government coalition, and thus prevent its collapse.