Minutes before the Gaza truce between Israel and Hamas was set to expire on Thursday, the former announced the extension of the ceasefire by at least one more day.
A statement by Israel's military said the truce would continue as mediators sought to release more hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The truce, initially set for four days, was later extended to six. "In light of the mediators' efforts to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the terms of the framework, the operational pause will continue," said the Israeli statement.
Tel Aviv also received a list a short while ago of 10 women and children hostages set for release from Gaza that complies with the agrees ceasefire rules.
Hamas has also said in a statement that the truce would continue. The Palestinian militant group had released 16 hostages in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners on Wednesday. Qatar’s foreign ministry confirms the one-day extension of the truce between Israel and Hamas, saying that it will be under the same terms as the previous six days
The extension of the ceasefire comes just after Hamas issued a statement claiming that Israel refused to receive seven women and children and the bodies of three other hostages in exchange for extending the truce. "This is despite confirming through mediators that this group is all the (Hamas) movement has in terms of detainees in the agreed-upon category," Hamas said in a statement.
Israeli military spokesman Doron Spielman too suggested in his social media briefing that no agreement had been reached regarding the next hostages to be released. "And therefore, if this framework does expire, the (Israeli military) ... are fully positioned and ready to simply relaunch our operations, our military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip," he said.
Blinken in Tel Aviv
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv early on Thursday to discuss extending the truce and ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. This is Blinken's third trip to the region since the October 7 attack. "Looking at the next couple of days, we'll be focused on ... doing what we can to extend the pause so that we continue to get more hostages out and more humanitarian assistance in," Blinken said at a stop in Brussels.
The White House also said in a statement that U.S. President Joe Biden was determined to secure the release of all hostages held by Hamas. The U.S. is urging Israel to narrow the zone of combat and clarify where Palestinian civilians can seek safety during any Israeli operation in southern Gaza, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
Qatar, which plays the role of a mediator, also issued a statement saying it was hopeful that the progress made in recent days can be sustained, and a further extension to the humanitarian pause agreement can be reached.