KUALA LUMPUR – The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is set to be extended for two more days following mediation efforts led by Qatar, just hours before the initial truce in Gaza was set to expire.
“The state of Qatar announces that, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip,” Qatari Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said on X yesterday.
According to Al-Jazeera, Qatar, the United States and Egypt have been engaging in intense negotiations to prolong the truce in Gaza as the initial truce resulted in a total of 50 civilian captives – all women and children – were expected to be freed by Hamas in exchange for the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Hamas official, Ghazi Hamad expressed hope that the truce could be extended further.
“It [the possibility of an extension] was written in the agreement, that if Hamas gives more hostages, there will be more days of the ceasefire.
“We have now agreed to release more hostages and extend the agreement for two days. This is good news for our people, especially the people of Gaza.
“I hope we can extend it until we reach the end of this war. We want to end the war. We are in a temporary ceasefire, but we are trying to extend it.
“There is lots of support from Qatar, Egypt and many Western governments to end this catastrophe,” he was quoted as saying to Al-Jazeera
The first three days of the truce saw Hamas release 39 Israeli captives in exchange for 117 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Further negotiations led by Qatar also saw Hamas release 17 Thai citizens, one Filipino and one dual Russian-Israeli national.
The truce comes following a nearly two-month fighting between both sides after Hamas fighters seized about 240 hostages when they stormed from Gaza into southern Israel on October 7 and killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials.
In response to the attack, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and a ground offensive in Gaza, killing nearly 15,000 people, including more than 6,000 children, according to Palestinian officials. – November 28, 2023