Israel-Hamas Truce Extended For Two More Days, Qatar Announces
Mediators have secured an agreement to extend the temporary truce between Hamas and Israel by two days to allow the release of more hostages.
“The State of Qatar announces, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian pause for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip,” Qatar Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said on X.
Hamas agreed to a two-day extension to the truce with Qatar and Egypt who have been mediating indirect negotiations between the two sides, a Hamas official told Reuters.
The conditions of the previous truce remain.
Before this announcement, the head of Egypt’s State Information Service said that an extension agreement was close and would include the release of 20 Israeli hostages in exchange for the freeing of 60 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
With the release of 11 Israeli hostages expected on Monday, negotiations remain ongoing for the release of 33 Palestinians, the official added.
The initial truce was the first halt in the brutal 7-week conflict which has killed around 14,800 Palestinians in response to the Hamas attack on October 7th that claimed the lives of 1,200 Israelis.
Since the start of the truce last Thursday, Hamas released 58 hostages – including foreigners – while 117 teenage Palestinian prisoners were freed.
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