Truce between Israel and Hamas will be extended for two more days

The truce agreement and exchange of hostages for prisoners between Israel and the Islamist group Hamaswhich began on Friday and expired today, will be extended for two more days, as announced by the Palestinian Islamist group and the government of Qatar.

“The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announces that it has been agreed with the brothers in Qatar and Egypt to extend the temporary humanitarian truce for two more days under the same conditions as the previous truce“, the group reported in a statement released through Telegram.

The spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Department, Majed al Ansari, wrote on his X social network account that “The State of Qatar announces that, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for two more days in the Gaza Strip”.

In statements to the Qatari state news agency, QNA, before the announcement of the extension of the truce, Al Ansari expressed Qatar’s desire that this serve to “reach a permanent ceasefire in the Strip and avoid civilian bloodshed.”.

So far, the Israeli Government has not commented on the extension of the truce.

This announcement comes shortly before the expiration of the agreement, which came into force last Friday at 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT) and was scheduled to extend for four days.

Beyond some minor inconveniences, both sides have respected the pact, which has seen the release of 58 hostages held captive in Gaza and 117 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

The fourth exchange is scheduled to take place this Monday and Israel has already announced that it received a list of the hostages who will be released today.

Among the 58 kidnapped people released by Hamas since Friday include 19 foreigners who are not part of the pact.

The agreement between Israel and the Islamist group was possible thanks to the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the United States and provides for the release of 50 Israeli hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, all minors or women.

In addition, it includes the entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and a clause by which the pact could be extended for up to ten days if Hamas agrees to hand over at least ten more captives for each additional day.

Israel declared war on Hamas on October 7 following an attack by the Islamist group, which included the launching of more than 4,000 rockets and the infiltration of some 3,000 militants, who killed some 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 240 in Israeli communities near Hamas. the strip of Loop.

Israel’s air, naval and ground forces have since counterattacked in the Palestinian enclave, where more than 14,800 people have already died, according to Palestinian authorities, most of them children and women, and it is estimated that more than 7,000 people are missing under the rubble.