Hamas has expressed its desire to extend the ongoing four-day truce with Israel, a period during which three groups of Israeli hostages have been released from Gaza, along with the release of three groups of Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Israeli jails.
The current four-day ceasefire, initiated on November 24, is set to conclude on Monday. In an official statement on Sunday night, Hamas conveyed its intention to extend the truce beyond the designated period.
The group emphasized the need for "serious efforts to increase the number of those released from imprisonment as stipulated in the humanitarian ceasefire agreement," and the statement was sent to the Israeli government through mediators in Qatar.
Israeli government sources indicated that the government would consider extending the ceasefire further if additional hostages held by Hamas are released. Since the commencement of the ceasefire, Hamas has released 67 hostages.
In return, Israel has released 39 Palestinian prisoners, according to the country's prison service. Qatar, a key mediator in the agreement, has expressed its hope to extend the truce, and an additional day for every 10 hostages Hamas releases is included in the provisions.
A senior Palestinian official involved in the negotiations in Qatar shared that Hamas has expressed its willingness to extend the pause by two to four days, with the potential release of an additional 20 to 40 Israeli prisoners.
Under the current terms of the ceasefire, a total of 50 Israeli hostages will be freed over four days in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners. On November 25, the second batch of releases occurred, albeit with a delay as Hamas accused Israel of not adhering to the agreed-upon conditions regarding the entry of relief trucks into the north of Gaza.
However, the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) reported a regular flow of trucks into Gaza through the Rafah crossing, with expectations of more trucks reaching Gaza during the ceasefire period.
(With Agency Inputs)
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