Fri. Dec 27th, 2024

Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the four-day truce in Gaza for another two days, mediator Qatar says.

Hamas said the extension was “under the same conditions”, which were for 50 Israeli hostages to be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel has yet to comment, but it had offered a day’s pause in the fighting for every 10 Israeli hostages freed.

It came as 11 hostages were released in the final exchange under the original deal that took effect on Friday.

Israeli officials said three-year-old twins and their mother were among them, along with six more children, an 18-year-old and her mother.

The Israeli military said they had crossed into Israeli territory. However all of the released children’s fathers remained in Gaza.

Those freed included people who also held French, German and Argentine nationality, Qatar said.

Thirty-three Palestinian women and teenagers in Israeli jails were due to be released under the truce deal.

Hamas – which is regarded as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK and other Western powers – has freed 39 Israelis over the previous three days. In exchange, Israel has freed 117 Palestinian prisoners.

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