2023-11-27 18:29:32
Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the truce by two days, in exchange for the release of hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners.
While the four-day truce is due to expire on Tuesday at 7 a.m., an agreement was reached Monday evening between Israel and Hamas to extend the ceasefire by two daysfollowing intense negotiations between the belligerents, the United States, Qatar and Egypt. The terrorist group would be ready to free 20 Israeli and foreign hostages detained in Gaza, in exchange for 60 Palestinian prisoners.
“An agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for two days in the Gaza Strip.”
Hamas released Monday evening 11 additional hostages and Israel released 39 Palestinian prisonersin accordance with the first ceasefire agreement.
“Qatar announces that, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for two days in the Gaza Strip,” the ministry spokesperson said on X (formerly Twitter). of Foreign Affairs, Majed Al Ansari. Earlier in the day, he had also expressed the Qatari government’s “hope”that the humanitarian pause might lead to a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip“.
Intense negotiations
Negotiations on the extension of the truce encountered several obstacles. According to our information, Israel first proposed during the talks an additional day of truce for the release of 10 hostages, in exchange for three times as many Palestinian prisoners. But Hamas insisted thata new four-day break is decidedrather than daily renewal.
“We want to receive 50 more hostages beyond tonight.”
Israel then demanded additional guarantees. “We want to receive 50 additional hostages beyond tonight,” said Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokesperson.
According to the American channel CNN, Israel also demanded that Hamas releases children and their parents at the same time.
Hamas, for its part, affirmed that it does not hold all the hostages. “Discussions on extending the ceasefire depend on the search for other hostages,” Osama Hamdan, a leader of the Islamist movement, said on Monday. Around forty hostages would be in the hands of other terrorist groups.
58 hostages released
On Sunday evening, Hamas freed 17 hostages. Among them, Avigail Idan, a four-year-old Israeli-American girl, both of whose parents were killed on October 7 by jihadists. A total of 69 people have been freed by terrorists since Friday. At the same time, Israel released 150 Palestinians.
This truce also allowed the entry of at least 200 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.
But some Israeli officials are worried. The longer the pause continues, the more Hamas can regroup its forces, and the more difficult it will be for Israel to restart the war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reminded United States President Joe Biden on Sunday that he is determined to return to his objective following the release of the hostages: “eliminate Hamas and ensure that the Gaza Strip is no longer what it was“.
At least 1,200 civilians and soldiers were killed in Israel, most in the October 7 terrorist attack. According to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry, 14,854 people were killed in Gaza during Israeli bombardments.
Furthermore, despite the ceasefire, the war continues in the Middle East. On Sunday, a chemical transport ship linked to an Israeli billionaire was rescued in the Gulf of Aden by a US warship following Houthi fighters boarded to take control of it.
The summary
- Qatar announced on Monday the 48-hour extension of the truce in Gazasubject to new releases of hostages kidnapped on October 7 by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
- The truce, which was initially due to end on Tuesday morning, made it possible to free 69 Israeli and foreign hostages held by HamasPalestinian prisoners and the entry of hundreds of trucks loaded with humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
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