AN agreement has been reached to extend the Israel-Hamas truce for another two days, the spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said.
Qatar, along with Egypt, has been the key mediator in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The announcement comes on the final day of a four-day truce between the warring sides, as they were preparing for a fourth exchange of militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
Israel has said it would extend the ceasefire by one day for every 10 additional hostages released.
After the Qatari announcement, Hamas confirmed it had agreed to a two-day extension “under the same terms”.
On Sunday, Hamas freed 17 more hostages – 14 Israelis and three Thais – in a third exchange under the four-day truce.
In turn, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners.
Of the roughly 240 hostages captured by Hamas in its October 7 attack in southern Israel that ignited the war, 62 have been released, one was freed by Israeli forces and two were found dead inside Gaza.
But Israel says it remains committed to crushing Hamas’s military capabilities and ending its 16-year rule over Gaza after its October 7 attack into southern Israel.
That would probably mean expanding a ground offensive from devastated northern Gaza to the south, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have crammed into United Nations shelters, and where dire conditions persist despite the increased delivery of aid under the truce.
Israel will resume its operations with “full force” as soon as the current deal expires if Hamas does not agree to further hostage releases, with the goal of eliminating the group and freeing the rest of the captives, government spokesperson Eylon Levy told reporters on Monday.
With the truce deal has come increased shipments of fuel and supplies into Gaza – although aid groups say it is still barely enough to dent the needs of the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza who have endured weeks of Israeli siege and bombardment.
Hamas and other militants could still be holding up to 175 hostages, enough to potentially extend the ceasefire for two-and-a-half weeks.
But those include a number of soldiers, and the militants are likely to make much greater demands for their release.
More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will press ahead with the war after the ceasefire expires.
Some 1200 people have been killed in Israel, mostly during the initial incursion by Hamas.
At least 77 soldiers have been killed in Israel’s ground offensive.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said the move should be welcomed and reiterated his call for a permanent ceasefire.
Writing on Twitter/X, the FM said: "Any extension in the cessation of violence is to be welcomed. Every effort should be made to turn this pause into a permanent ceasefire.
"The overwhelming majority of people reject a resumption of violence that has seen too many innocent men, women and children die."
