The United States of America (USA) welcomed this Monday the announcement of the two-day extension of the truce in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas and called for the ceasefire to be extended for an even longer period.
“Of course, we welcome the announcement,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters after mediator Qatar said the initial four-day truce would be extended.
“Hamas has committed to releasing another 20 women and children held hostage in the Gaza Strip over the next two days,” Kirby added.
John Kirby says he will not “speak on behalf of the Israel Defense Forces”, but adds that they have made it “very clear” that they will continue to attack the “Hamas leadership” after the end of the truce.
US President Joe Biden participated “personally” in the implementation of the truce agreement, resolving an “obstacle” over the weekend and obtaining an extension of the pause, he added.
The extension of the truce, initially agreed for four days, was announced through Qatari mediation and already confirmed by Hamas, after Israel announced that it had proposed to the Palestinian Islamist movement “an option” to prolong the cessation of hostilities that began on Friday and that should end on Tuesday at 07:00 local time (05:00 in Lisbon).
Israel has not yet confirmed the extension of the agreement.
In this way, the humanitarian truce will continue under the same conditions as the previous one, until 7:00 a.m. on Thursday (5:00 a.m. Lisbon time).
Along with Qatar, the United States and Egypt have participated in mediation efforts in the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Source: TSF
