Hamas-Israel War: Qatar Confirms Gaza Truce Will Be Extended By 48 Hours

Hamas and Qatar have announced that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip would be extended for an additional two days.

The extension will allow for the release of more hostages and prisoners. The existing terms of the ceasefire will remain in place during this time. Although there has been no confirmation from the Israeli side, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the extension as a “glimpse of hope and humanity in the middle of the darkness of war.”

Naija News understands that Qatar, with the backing of the United States and Egypt, has been working tirelessly to negotiate and extend the truce in Gaza.

The latest extension was announced just a few hours before the end of the initial humanitarian pause. The extension announcements were timely, coming after United States President, Joe Biden, top EU envoy Josep Borrell and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg admonished for a more extended break in fighting.

Over the initial four days, a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners were to be exchanged.

Qatari foreign ministry spokesman, Majed Al Ansari, announced that “an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip.”

Hamas, the governing body in Gaza, instigated the conflict by launching an unprecedented attack on southern Israel last month. In response, they have announced their intention to compile a new list of hostages for release.

On the final day of the initial four-day ceasefire, Israel’s military confirmed that 11 hostages had crossed into Israeli territory. Qatar has, however, stated that these 11 Israelis will be released in exchange for 33 Palestinian prisoners, the majority of whom are said to be minors.

According to Qatar, the released Israelis hold dual nationality from France, Germany, and Argentina.

Israel has made it clear that the purpose of the ceasefire is to provide Hamas with an opportunity to release more of the approximately 240 hostages they have been holding since the October 7 attack. This attack resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, as reported by Israeli officials.

Nevertheless, there is an increasing need to capitalize on this temporary pause in hostilities for the distribution of humanitarian assistance to the civilians residing in Gaza.

Naija News reports that the continuous Israeli offensive against Hamas has resulted in a substantial number of casualties, primarily consisting of Palestinian civilians, as reported by the Hamas government in Gaza. As a consequence, the majority of Gaza’s inhabitants have been forced to flee their homes and are currently grappling with critical scarcities of vital commodities.