Gaza, March 4 (NationPress) The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has urged the Israeli army to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and allow the State of Palestine to assume its responsibilities.

In an official press release, the ministry called for genuine international actions "to limit the occupation's aggression against our people and their rights in a manner that guarantees the establishment of a ceasefire and the swift empowerment of the State of Palestine and its internationally recognized legitimate institutions to fulfill their obligations and immediately extend their sovereignty over the Gaza Strip and all Palestinian territories occupied since 1967."

Previously, on Saturday, the initial 42-day phase of the three-stage agreement between Hamas and Israel came to an end, with no significant progress reported for the subsequent phase, as per Xinhua news agency.

Israel is aiming to prolong the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement for an additional 42 days, whereas Hamas is opposing this and seeks to advance discussions for the second phase.

The second phase of the agreement is intended to focus on the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the establishment of a lasting ceasefire.

Earlier on Thursday, Israeli officials stated that the military would not retreat from the strategic area along the Gaza-Egypt border despite a ceasefire agreement that mandates a withdrawal by Saturday.

Israel received the remains of four hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, marking the conclusion of the first phase of a three-stage ceasefire arrangement.

Three of the hostages were reported to have died while in captivity, while the fourth perished during the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, according to the Prime Minister's office. Forensic experts in Tel Aviv confirmed the identification of the four remains after Hamas returned them.