Israel proposed a temporary cease-fire extension in Gaza for the Ramadan and Passover holidays, the prime minister’s office announced around midnight on Saturday as the initial phase of the truce was expiring.

It appeared to be the Israeli government’s effort to make its opening negotiating position clear, as it and Hamas struggle to move from the first phase of the cease-fire into a second, more comprehensive phase as the deal initially called for.

The Israeli announcement came after a cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attended by Israel’s minister of defense, senior defense officials and a negotiating team, according to the prime minister’s office.

But there is still much uncertainty about what will happen next in Gaza. Earlier Saturday, a Hamas spokesman told Al-Araby TV that the militant group had rejected Israel’s framework for an extension, Reuters reported.

Both Israel and Hamas have reasons to avoid another round of fighting, at least for now. Hamas wants to give its forces a chance to recuperate, while Israel wants to bring home the remaining hostages. But the prospect of a comprehensive agreement seems remote.

And Hamas is unlikely to accept Israel’s offer without further negotiations, according to Aaron David Miller, a former State Department Middle East analyst and negotiator who is now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The proposal, he said, “allows Israelis to get hostages back without making reciprocal commitments.”