US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff plans to return to the region in the coming days to find a way to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire or advance to the second phase, a State Department spokesman said.

"Special Envoy Witkoff plans to return to the region in the coming days to find a way to extend the first phase or advance to the second phase," the ministry spokesman said.

“The President has made clear and Secretary Rubio has said repeatedly that all hostages must be released immediately, and that includes American hostages.”

Earlier on Monday, media reported that Witkov had postponed his visit to the Middle East to resume talks on the situation in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to extend the truce for at least another week, until Witkoff arrives in the region.

In turn, Israeli media reported that Israel will return to fighting in the Gaza Strip within 10 days if Hamas does not continue to release the detainees, while the US Deputy Envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, said that Washington wants to reach a diplomatic solution and no one wants the fighting to return.

"Our goal is to get the hostages back, not to go back to fighting," Ortagus told Fox News, but she stressed that Trump had pledged to support Israel if it had to go back to fighting.

Channel 12 also explained that "Israel wants to reach understandings, but has set a deadline to move the process forward."

The channel quoted an Israeli official as saying, "We are currently at a dead end regarding the deal negotiations."

Meanwhile, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted a source as saying that Israel's resumption of fighting in Gaza would take some time due to the change in the Israeli Chief of Staff.

The first phase of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel, which came into effect on January 19, ended last Saturday. However, Israel refused to enter into negotiations regarding the second phase, contrary to what the agreement stipulates. It also closed the crossings, prevented the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip, and threatened to resume the war.

Netanyahu made it clear in a speech before the Israeli Knesset on Monday that Israel does not intend to negotiate the second stage because “the distance between us and Hamas… cannot be bridged,” adding, “We are preparing for the next stages of the renaissance war on 7 fronts.” He continued, “We tell Hamas that if you do not release our kidnapped soldiers, there will be consequences that you cannot bear.”

Netanyahu reiterated what he said was a new proposal by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to release all remaining Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip in two batches.

For its part, Hamas accused Netanyahu of violating the agreement, and called on the mediators and guarantors to protect the agreement from collapse and force the Israeli occupation to begin the second phase, leading to a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of all Israeli forces, and the reconstruction of the Strip.

For its part, the Jerusalem Post quoted an Israeli official as saying that nothing is happening now regarding the negotiations, and that Hamas rejects Witkoff's proposal, so it is very difficult to achieve progress, in his opinion.

The newspaper also quoted informed sources as saying that there are estimates that fighting will resume in Gaza within 10 days if an agreement is not reached.

In turn, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted sources as saying that "negotiations to release the kidnapped are faltering and at a standstill until Witkov arrives." It indicated that no date has been set for the US envoy's visit to Israel, but estimates indicate that he will arrive at the end of the week.

The Broadcasting Authority said that 44% of Israelis support moving to the second stage of the agreement, and 9% support returning to fighting.