Israel-Gaza War: Israel and Hamas to extend truce by 2 days, plan to release additional hostages and prisoners
Israel and Hamas in Gaza appeared set to continue for a fifth day on Tuesday, there are expectations that Hamas will release more hostages seized on October 7 in exchange for increased aid and the release of imprisoned Palestinians by Israel, Reuters reported. As per the report, following the release of 11 Israelis on Monday, Hamas has now freed 69 hostages out of approximately 240 taken during an incursion into southern Israel, resulting in about 1,200 casualties according to Israeli figures. Early on Tuesday, media affiliated with Hamas reported that Israel had released 30 Palestinian children and three women in the fourth exchange of the truce.
Outside Israel's Ofer prison near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, a crowd of Palestinians, waving Palestinian, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad flags, gathered in anticipation of the release of more Palestinians. Reports from Palestinians indicated that the Israeli army had used tear gas on the crowd, Reuters reported. Also Read: Israel under international pressure to extend ceasefire with Hamas Following the October 7 attack, Israel has carried out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and initiated a ground offensive in the north.
According to Gaza's Hamas-run government, more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. As per Reuters, Qatar, in collaboration with Egypt, has facilitated indirect negotiations between the two parties. Qatar announced an agreement to extend the original four-day truce, set to expire on Monday, by an additional two days.
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