Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas have reached an agreement to extend the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for two days, authorities in Qatar, the country mediating the negotiations, announced on Monday.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari indicated, as part of the ongoing negotiations, that “an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian ceasefire for another two days.” in Gaza, according to a message published on the social network X.
The State of Qatar, as part of the ongoing mediation, has reached an agreement to extend the humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip for another two days.
– د. From Dr. Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) November 27, 2023
Hamas confirmed that the ceasefire with Israel in the Gaza Strip, which was due to expire on Tuesday morning, would be extended until 7am on Thursday (5am Lisbon), after saying it was “working on a new list of hostages”. be released.
The Palestinian movement announced in a press release “an agreement with the Qatari and Egyptian brothers for an extension of the temporary humanitarian ceasefire, which will last for two additional days, under the same conditions as the previous ceasefire.”
However, the US confirmed that an agreement had been reached to extend the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas for another two days, with the release of more hostages held in Gaza by the Palestinian extremist group since October 7.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that, with the goal of extending the humanitarian truce, “Hamas has committed to releasing an additional 20 women and children over the next two days.”
Israel has not yet confirmed the extension of the agreement.
Earlier, al-Ansari had indicated that the sides were in talks with a view to extending the ceasefire, which has now been in force for four days, while the Egyptian government – which also acts as a mediator – proposed an extension of two days. in exchange for the release of another twenty hostages.
Hamas, which took power in the Gaza Strip in 2007, had also indicated it was drawing up a new list of hostages to be released to extend the ceasefire in the fighting with Israel.
Despite some minor setbacks, both sides have so far respected the agreement, which resulted in the release of 58 hostages held in the Gaza Strip and 117 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
The fourth exchange is scheduled for today and Israel has already announced that it has received a list of the next hostages to be released.
Among the 58 people abducted and released by Hamas since Friday are 19 foreigners who were not part of the deal.
The agreement between Israel and the Islamist group was made possible thanks to the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the United States and provided for a four-day ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt, and the release of a total of the 50 hostages held kidnapped on October 7 and the 150 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, all minors or women.
In addition, it includes humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip and a clause under which the agreement can be extended for up to ten days if Hamas agrees to transfer at least ten additional prisoners for each additional day.
The ceasefire has so far allowed the entry of hundreds of truckloads of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, besieged and devastated by seven weeks of Israeli bombardments in retaliation for Hamas’ bloody attack on Israel on October 7, which killed around 1,200 people. dead. .
US President Joe Biden, the European Union and NATO had called for an extension of the agreement.
The release of a larger number of hostages is strongly demanded by Israeli public opinion, traumatized by the Hamas attack a month and a half ago in the south of the country.
In response to the Hamas attack on October 7, Israel declared war on the Palestinian Islamist movement and intensively bombed the Gaza Strip until the sides agreed to a four-day truce.
Until the start of the ceasefire, Israeli army attacks in Gaza had killed more than 14,000 people, according to Hamas, which has controlled the enclave since 2007.
Source: DN
