WASHINGTON (TND) — Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend a cease-fire for two more days, according to the Qatari government.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al Ansari posted the update on X as the four-day truce comes to an end. A fourth swap of hostages for Palestinian prisoners is expected later Monday.
"The State of Qatar announces, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian pause for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip," according to Ansari.
Ansari said that 33 Palestinian prisoners will be released Monday in exchange for the release of 11 Israeli hostages from Gaza.
"Those released from Israeli prisons include 30 minors and 3 women, while the Israelis released from Gaza include 3 French citizens, 2 German citizens, and 6 Argentinian citizens, were handed over to the ICRC," he added.
Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, has been a key mediator during the war between Israel and Hamas
Israel previously said it would extend the cease-fire by one day for every 10 additional hostages released.
Israel added it iscommitted to crushing Hamas' military capabilities and ending its 16-year rule over Gaza after its Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel. That would likely mean expanding a ground offensive from devastated northern Gaza to the south, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have crammed into United Nations shelters, and where dire conditions persist despite the increased delivery of aid under the truce.
So far, 58 hostages have been released during the current truce, including 39 Israelis. Before the truce, four hostages were freed, another rescued and two were found dead inside Gaza.
It is believed Hamas and other militants could still be holding up to 175 hostages.
A third exchange took place Sunday that freed 17 hostages and 39 Palestinian prisoners.
The Palestinian prisoners released were mostly teenagers accused of throwing stones and firebombs during confrontations with Israeli forces, or of less-serious offenses.Many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, including those implicated in attacks, as heroes resisting occupation.
Hamas has committed to releasing 20 women and children over the next two days, according to spokesman for the National Security Council, John Kirby.
Kirby added that he thinks the number of Americans being held hostage is around eight or nine but said he doesn't have "firm solid information on each and every one of them."
He also touched on the aid that has been received in Gaza since Oct. 7.
"As of the morning of Nov. 26,200 trucks were dispatched to the Rafah crossing and 137 trucks of supplies were offloaded by the United Nations reception point in Gaza making it the biggest humanitarian convoy received since the envoy on Oct. 7," Kirby said. "This brings the total number of trucks of aid and assistance including fuel to over 200 since Oct. 21."
However, the United Nations stated that 160 to 200 trucks a day is still less than half of what Gaza was importing before the fighting began.
The White House posted on X thanking efforts from over the weekend for allowing the humanitarian pause to be extended.
"President Biden will continue to work to extend the pause beyond the additional two days," officials said.
The official X account for the Prime Minister of Israel shared video and photos of the Goldstein-Almog family on the way to Israel on an IAF helicopter after being freed from Hamas captivity.
More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. More than 1,200 people have been killed on the Israeli side, mostly civilians killed in the initial attack. At least 77 soldiers have been killed in Israel's ground offensive.
Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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