A humanitarian pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas will extend by two days, mediator Qatar said Monday as an initial four-day truce in Gaza was set to expire.
"The State of Qatar announces that, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip," Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said on X, formerly Twitter.
According to Qatar as a mediator, a humanitarian pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas will extend by two days as an initial four-day truce in Gaza was set to expire.
"The State of Qatar announces that, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip," Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said on X, formerly Twitter.
Over the course of the humanitarian pause and in weeks prior, Qatar, with the support of the United States and Egypt, has been engaged in intense negotiations to establish and prolong the truce in Gaza, which mediators had said was designed to be broadened and expanded.
Over the course of the initial truce a total 50 civilian hostages, women and children, were expected to be freed by Hamas.
In exchange, 150 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel were to be released and humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza.
During its first three days, 39 Israeli hostages were freed by the militant group in exchange for 117 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails as part of the deal between the two sides.
As a result of parallel negotiations led by the Gulf state, 17 Thais, one Filipino and one dual Russian-Israeli national have also been released by the Palestinian militants.
The figure set for release is by far the largest since Hamas gunmen stormed across Gaza's militarised border on October 7 and staged the deadliest attack in Israel's history.
Israel says the attack killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and around 240 more were taken hostage, among them elderly people and children.
In response, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which the Hamas government says has killed 15,000 people, thousands of them children.
Hamas confirms two-day truce extension under existing terms
The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas confirmed on Monday that a two-day extension to a truce with Israel and associated hostage and prisoner releases had been agreed.
"Hamas announced that an agreement has been reached with the brothers in Qatar and Egypt for an extension of the temporary humanitarian pause for an additional two days, with the same conditions as the previous truce," it said in a statement.
White House welcomes Israel-Hamas truce extension
The White House welcomed an agreement Monday to extend a truce between Israel and Hamas by two days, saying it was hopeful the humanitarian pause would continue for longer still.
"Of course we welcome the announcement," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. "We would of course hope to see the pause extended further, and that will depend upon Hamas continuing to release hostages."
US hopes Gaza truce further extended
Washington, United StatesISRAELPALESTINIANSCONFLICTUS
The United States welcomed an agreement Monday to extend a truce between Israel and Hamas by two days, saying it was hopeful the humanitarian pause would continue for longer still.
"Of course we welcome the announcement," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters after mediator Qatar said the initial four-day truce was to be lengthened.
"We would of course hope to see the pause extended further, and that will depend upon Hamas continuing to release hostages."
Hamas had committed to releasing another 20 women and children held hostage in the Gaza Strip over the next two days, he added.
Kirby held out little hope however that the truce could become a more permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
"I won't speak for the Israeli Defense Forces, but when these pauses are over, they have made it very clear that they're going to continue to target Hamas leadership," Kirby said.
Biden nevertheless believed that his approach was "getting results" both in terms of freeing hostages and getting aid to civilians enduring dire conditions in Gaza, Kirby said.
The US president had been "personally involved" in getting the truce deal in place, resolving a "snag" over the weekend, and getting the extension of the pause, he added.
Hamas staged the deadliest attack in Israel's history on October 7 when it broke through Gaza's militarized border on October 7. Israel says the attack killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and around 240 more were taken hostage, among them elderly people and children.
In response, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which the Hamas government says has killed 15,000 people, thousands of them children.
Gaza truce extension a 'glimpse of hope': UN chief
The United Nations chief hailed Monday's two-day extension of a truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza as a "glimpse of hope."
"It's a glimpse of hope and humanity in the middle of the darkness of war and I strongly hope that these will enable us to increase even more the humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza that is suffering so much," Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. Without more time, "it will be impossible to satisfy all the dramatic needs of the population in Gaza."
Earlier today, Hamas said it was drawing up a new list of hostages held in the Gaza Strip "in order to extend the truce" with Israel.
The statement from Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, came as discussions were continuing on an extension of the initial four-day pause in the fighting and exchanges of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
On the other hand, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the families of the hostages to be released from the Gaza Strip on Monday -- the final day of an initial four-day truce -- had been informed.
The office had earlier said that discussions were continuing on a list that had been received, indicating that it had not yet been agreed, but the later statement signalled that the transfer would go ahead under the terms of the agreement.
French navy ship arrives in Egypt to treat Gaza wounded: port source
A French warship arrived Monday in the Egyptian town of El-Arish near the border with the conflict-torn Gaza Strip to serve as a hospital for wounded civilians, a port source said.
The Dixmude ship is expected to accommodate two operating rooms and around 60 beds.
Hundreds of critically wounded Palestinians have crossed into Egypt in recent weeks with special exit permits, after the majority of hospitals in Gaza were forced out of service, according to the United Nations.