Israel and Hamas were discussing through mediators the possibility of extending the Gaza truce on Wednesday as the six-day pause neared its end. The two sides had only a few hours left to reach an agreement before the fighting was scheduled to resume.
Fifty-four days since the beginning of the conflict, over 150 Israeli hostages are still held in Gaza. A Palestinian official informed Reuters that while both sides expressed a willingness to prolong the ceasefire, no formal agreement had been reached yet.
Release of hostages and prisoners: Israeli families have been informed of the last group of hostages to be released under the current agreement. Additionally, 30 Palestinian prisoners are scheduled for release on the truce’s sixth day.
As reported by the Times of Israel, 31 children held by Gaza-based militants were released as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement with Hamas. However, nine children still remained in the Strip.
Negotiators at work to extend ceasefire: According to analysts cited by Al Jazeera, the ceasefire negotiations have entered a “pragmatic” phase involving various mediators and stakeholders.
There are indications that Hamas may be signaling a willingness to extend the cessation of hostilities. Egyptian and Qatari officials were in contact to potentially extend the ceasefire for an additional two days.
A source with close ties to Hamas indicated that the group was open to extending the ceasefire for an additional four days, as reported by AFP news agency. The source stated that Hamas had informed mediators of its willingness to do so, conditional upon the continued release of Israeli prisoners in accordance with the existing ceasefire terms.
#BREAKING A source close to Hamas said Wednesday the Islamist movement was willing to extend by an additional four days a Gaza truce that has seen Israeli hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.”Hamas has informed the mediators that it is willing to extend the truce for… pic.twitter.com/2QgTW8zIZX
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) November 29, 2023
International reactions: President Joe Biden has urged an end to the fighting and criticized Hamas, emphasizing the importance of peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.
Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Cryptocurrencies Feed…
