Israel and Hamas extend temporary cease-fire another day in 11th-hour agreement
Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the temporary cease-fire between them another day in an eleventh-hour agreement minutes before the truce was set to expire, Qatari mediators said.
The parties came to an agreement with little time to spare before the previously negotiated pause in fighting was set to expire at 7 a.m. local time Thursday.
The negotiations had stalled over disagreements on the list of Israeli hostages to be released by Hamas Thursday but the parties were able to make a deal within minutes of the deadline.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry said the cease-fire would continue for another day under the same terms previously arranged.
Hamas will release 10 hostages who it abducted from Israel on Oct. 7 in return for the release of 30 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons and a pause in air strikes.
Israel and Hamas were arguing over which hostages the latter would release in a debate that came down to the wire.
Hamas had proposed releasing seven living hostages and the bodies of three who the group claimed were killed in previous Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.
Israel rejected the proposal and later said Hamas came back with an improved list which it agreed to.
The prisoner exchanges over the past few days have seen the release of women and children.
But as the number of women and children in Hamas’ control dips, the negotiations are expected to become more difficult.
The militant group is expected to ask for greater terms if Israel wants men and soldiers who were taken hostage to be freed.
The pause in fighting may continue for another day or two before that happens as Israel faces intense international pressure to prolong the cease-fire for as long as possible, if not permanently.
Eight weeks of Israel’s relentless airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed more than 13,300 Palestinians and left thousands more without homes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel said it is open to standing down all attacks if Hamas continues to free more hostages.
With Post wires.
