{"id":135194,"date":"2023-11-27T22:40:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T22:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/finbestnews.com\/?p=135194"},"modified":"2023-11-27T22:40:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T22:40:00","slug":"israel-and-hamas-extend-temporary-ceasefire-by-two-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/finbestnews.com\/politics\/israel-and-hamas-extend-temporary-ceasefire-by-two-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel and Hamas extend temporary ceasefire by two days"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

A further 11 captives \u2013 nine women and two children \u2013 were released from Gaza into the hands of the Red Cross before being transferred to Egypt and then on to the Israeli military.<\/p>\n

It means 51 hostages have been released during the four-day halt in fighting, with 33 Palestinian prisoners set free, bringing that total to 150.<\/p>\n

International go-betweens from Qatar and Egypt had urgently been working with both sides before last night\u2019s midnight deadline.<\/p>\n

They then announced a deal had been reached to ensure the \u00adceasefire was extended \u2013 but only by two days.<\/p>\n

A spokesman for the Qatari government said: \u201cAn agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip.\u201d<\/p>\n

The further pause will allow the release of more of those nearly 200 Israeli hostages still being held in a \u00adlabyrinth of underground tunnels beneath Gaza.<\/p>\n

Hamas said the truce would now continue for 48 hours \u201cunder the
same conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that military operations in Gaza would resume with \u201cfull force\u201d when the truce ended.<\/p>\n

Israel said each further day of pause in the fighting in Gaza was predicated on the release of a further 10 captives.<\/p>\n

So the additional two-day halt may see another 20 Israeli hostages returned. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell called for the extension to be made more lasting.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThe pause should be extended to make it sustainable and long-lasting while working for a \u00adpolitical solution.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg pushed for the \u201chumanitarian pause\u201d in fighting to be extended. The British Government will also help drive forward a new political process for peace in Gaza, a Foreign Office minister said. Andrew Mitchell said: \u201cWhen this ghastly violence finishes, or is significantly diminished everyone must bend every sinew to drive forward a new political process for peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

China\u2019s foreign minister Wang Yi will travel to New York to host a \u00admeeting of the United Nations Security Council later this week, as international attempts to mediate the conflict gather pace. Jordan renewed its call for the extended ceasefire to be made permanent, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated the importance of Israel taking \u00ad\u201cconcrete steps\u201d to minimise harm to civilians in Gaza.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, there were again joyous scenes for those Israelis newly released. Reunited with their loved ones and enjoying freedom for the first time in 50 days, many could not contain their emotions.<\/p>\n

Maya Regev, 21, taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 at the Supernova music festival in southern Israel, along with her brother Itay, fell into the arms of her family after she was reunited.<\/p>\n