28-11-2023 (GAZA) The four-day truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has been extended by two more days until November 29, according to Qatar, the mediator in the negotiations. This extension has raised the prospect of additional hostage releases by the Palestinian militant group. Since the truce began on November 24, a total of 69 hostages have already been released.
Israel’s Army Radio reported that the government has received a list of hostages expected to be released on November 28, citing the Israeli prime minister’s office. The Axios news website stated that the list includes 10 hostages, although there has been no immediate comment from the prime minister’s office regarding this information.
This truce marks the first pause in a war that has persisted for over seven weeks. The recent escalation of violence was triggered by an attack from Hamas gunmen on southern Israel on October 7. Israel claims that 1,200 people were killed and over 240 were taken hostage in the attack. In response, Israel launched an aerial and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas. Officials in Gaza report that more than 15,000 people have been killed in the Israeli operation.
During the four-day truce, both Hamas and Israel have been releasing hostages. Hamas has released some of the hostages each day, while Israel has freed some Palestinian prisoners held in its jails. Israel had previously stated that it would extend the truce by one day for every 10 additional hostages released, providing some relief for the Palestinians in Gaza.
A Qatari foreign ministry spokesman announced on November 27 that an agreement had been reached to extend the humanitarian pause for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip. Hamas also confirmed its agreement to the extension. While there was no immediate comment from Israel, a White House official confirmed that an agreement had indeed been reached.
United States President Joe Biden expressed gratitude to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Qatar and Egypt, for their role in facilitating indirect talks between Israel and Hamas. Biden praised the pact, which would result in the release of more hostages and the entry of additional aid into Gaza.
On November 27, the Israeli military announced that 11 Israeli hostages, the latest to be freed according to the terms of the original truce, had arrived safely in Israel. Qatar revealed that the newly released hostages, all dual citizens, included three individuals with French nationality, two with German nationality, and six Argentinian citizens.
Hamas had previously stated that it received a list of 33 Palestinians to be released from Israeli jails in exchange. The list comprises three female prisoners and 30 minors. With the recent releases, Hamas has freed a total of 69 individuals since November 24, including both Israelis and non-Israelis.
The original truce called for Hamas to release 50 Israeli women and children held in Gaza, with no specified limit on the number of foreigners to be released. Prior to the latest releases, an Israeli spokesman indicated that as of November 27, there were still 184 hostages held in Gaza, including 14 foreigners and 80 Israelis with dual nationality. The White House stated that it did not believe any Americans would be among the latest group to be freed from Gaza, where it is estimated that seven to nine US citizens are currently being held.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to visit Israel, the West Bank, and the United Arab Emirates this week, where he will discuss sustaining aid flows to Gaza, the release of all hostages, and US principles for the future of Gaza and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The extension of the truce has been seen as a glimpse of hope and humanity by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. However, he emphasized that two days would not be sufficient to meet Gaza’s aid needs. Guterres expressed a strong hope that the extension would enable an increase in humanitarian aid to the suffering population in Gaza, acknowledging that even with the additional time, it would still be impossible to fulfill all the dramatic needs of the people.
Palestinians in Gaza have been praying for an extension of the truce. Some have been visiting their homes, which have been reduced to rubble by weeks of Israeli airstrikes and artillery bombardments, while others have queued for essential aid provided by the United Nations relief agency UNRWA.
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