The ceasefire in the Gaza war, which has lasted six days, is being extended again. Immediately before the relevant deadline expired, the Israeli army announced its retention on Thursday morning. Earlier, sixteen hostages had been released by the Islamist Hamas and in return thirty Palestinian prisoners were released from Israel.
Extending the ceasefire would allow more hostages to be released and more humanitarian aid to reach the closed coastal area, the Israeli military said. Telegram said: “Given the efforts of the mediators to continue the hostage rescue process and depending on the terms of the agreement, the operational pause will continue.”
Extension for the time being only for one day
The mediator country Qatar and Hamas confirmed the extension shortly afterwards. However, according to Hamas, this concerns only one day – “under existing conditions”, i.e. the cessation of all military activities in the Gaza Strip and the import of humanitarian aid.
The ceasefire had been in effect since last Friday and was recently extended for two days. Since then, Hamas has exchanged about a hundred hostages kidnapped to the Gaza Strip for Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons.
Three Germans also released
Another sixteen hostages were released on Thursday evening. Among them are three people with German citizenship, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said. In return, Israel released another group of 30 Palestinians from Israeli prisons, the Israeli prison authority confirmed.
The 10 Israeli nationals now released include five women, three children and two 18-year-old men, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. According to mediator Qatar, four Thai hostages and two Russian-Israeli women were also released. These releases were not covered by the Israel-Hamas agreement.
Well-known Palestinian activist is also released
According to Qatar, 16 minors and 14 women were among the released Palestinians. One of them is the well-known activist Ahed Tamimi. The 22-year-old was jailed over an Instagram post that Israel said called for a massacre of Israelis and alluded to Hitler. Tamimi’s family rejects this.
The Gaza War was sparked by the worst massacre in Israel’s history, which terrorists from the Gaza Strip committed in Israel near the border on October 7. More than 1,200 people were killed. About 240 hostages were taken to Gaza. Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a blockade of the Gaza Strip. According to Hamas, nearly 15,000 people have been killed and more than 36,000 injured in the ground offensive that has been underway since late October.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
