Israel and Hamas agreed this Monday to extend the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for another two days, opening the door to the possible release of another 20 Israeli hostages and 60 Palestinian prisoners. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres speaks of a “glimmer of hope and humanity amid the darkness of war”, with the US saying he hopes the ceasefire can be extended even longer.
“Agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip for another two days” announced the Foreign Ministry of Qatar, a country that helped negotiate between Israel and Hamas. The Palestinian terror group later confirmed the information and said it had managed to ‘locate’ another group of hostages. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, a Hamas official, Khalil al-Hayya, also indicated that they hope to start negotiating a new agreement for the release of the hostages who are not included this time – namely the men and even the soldiers. Israel did not immediately confirm the continuation of the humanitarian ceasefire.
This Monday, Eleven Israelis (nine children and two mothers) were on Hamas’s list of freedmen, as were six Thais. Israel, for its part, planned to release 33 Palestinian prisoners from its prisons. If these figures are confirmed, 75 hostages have been released since the start of the ceasefire: 50 Israeli women and children, a man with dual Russian and Israeli citizenship, 23 Thais and a Filipino. Israel in turn released the 150 prisoners – young men and women – as agreed.
In the October 7 surprise attack on Israel, the Palestinian terror group killed (according to Israeli authorities) 1,200 people and kidnapped 240. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas, immediately began bombing the Gaza Strip and launched a land invasion a month ago. Authorities in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, say 14,854 people have been killed in Israeli attacks. The terror group also claims that at least 60 hostages were killed in the same attacks.
Another clause in the initial four-day ceasefire, which marked the first pause in bombing in seven weeks, was the access of humanitarian aid to Gaza. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed that the planned 200 trucks arrived Sunday. More than 2,000 trucks have entered since the reopening of the Rafah border, the only border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, on October 21.
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During a press conference on Monday, the Secretary General of the United Nations was of the opinion that the extension of the ceasefire is a… “A glimpse of hope and humanity”. Guterres said he hoped this would bring more aid to the people of Gaza “who are suffering so much, knowing that even with this extra time it will be impossible to meet all the dramatic needs of these people.”
US President Joe Biden responded to X (formerly Twitter): “I have consistently called for a pause in the fighting to accelerate and expand humanitarian assistance to Gaza and facilitate the release of hostages. I will remain in contact with the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and Israel to ensure that all aspects of the agreement are implemented.”. Earlier, Kirby had said he hoped the ceasefire could be extended further, but made clear that this would depend on the release of more hostages by Hamas.
Even before the extension of the ceasefire was confirmed, the European Union’s head of diplomacy had said that this target seemed “accessible”. Josep Borrell spoke at the final conference of the Union for the Mediterranean summit, where 43 European and Arab countries discussed the conflict. The Palestinian Authority was represented, but Israel (one of the founding countries) decided not to attend the day before. Borrell said the meeting was “not against anyone, but for and for peace.”
As the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho, told the Lusa agency, during the meeting “a huge convergence”, associated “with a sense of urgency” around the “need for a two-state solution”. [israelita e palestiniano]”, which all countries recognize as “the only real possibility for a solution for long-term peace and stability”.
And after the armistice?
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told a group of soldiers on Monday that when the ceasefire ends, the fighting will be “bigger” and will take place “throughout the Gaza Strip.” This official stressed that the Israeli forces “will not stop until they are done” in achieving the objectives set out in response to the October 7 attack – to defeat Hamas, free the hostages and ensure that the Gaza Strip does not pose a threat to Israel forms.
Gallant told the soldiers, who are resting after days of fighting in the Gaza Strip, that Hamas fighters were also taking the opportunity to rest and organize. “You’ll find that they’re a little better prepared, so they’ll first encounter the air force bombs, and then the tank and artillery projectiles, and the claws of the D9. [bulldozers] and finally the shots from infantry fighters,” he said.
Source: DN
