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World leaders propel extension of Gaza truce: Hamas-Israel war paused for another day
Palestinian children walk among the houses destroyed in Israeli strikes during the conflict, amid the temporary truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at Khan Younis refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, November 29, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
On Thursday morning, Qatar announced a one-day extension of the ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas.
Majed Al Ansari, the spokesman of Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, announced in a statement that the Palestinian and Israeli sides have agreed to extend the ceasefire for another day.
According to the report of the Al-Jazeera network, the Israeli army announced that the temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will continue “due to the efforts of the mediators and subject to the terms of the agreement.”
The truce was mediated by Qatar and Egypt and took shape as a result of negotiations involving Israel, Hamas, and the U.S.
A Hamas source told AFP on Wednesday, hours before the end of a temporary ceasefire, that the group was not satisfied with Israel’s proposals to extend the ceasefire.
However, during the UN security meeting yesterday, world leaders pressed for an extension of the pause in the war in hopes of the release of more hostages and further providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
Today, Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state also called for the continuation of the ceasefire and a humanitarian pause in the war, during his trip to Israel.
He described the temporary truce between Israel and the Hamas militant group as fruitful and said that Washington hopes this process will continue.
Blinken emphasized that Joe Biden’s administration has focused on the release of kidnapped hostages since the first day of the Hamas attack.
Last Wednesday, after several days of indirect negotiations, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement for a temporary ceasefire for four days and the exchange of prisoners.
According to the prisoner exchange agreement, in the first phase which came into effect last Friday, in exchange for the release of an Israeli hostage, three Palestinian prisoners will be released.
