By TIA GOLDENBERG, JACK JEFFERY and SAMY MAGDY (Associated Press)
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel and Hamas agreed to increase their cease-fire for 2 extra days previous Monday, the Qatari authorities mentioned, bringing the prospect of an extended halt to their deadliest and most damaging struggle and additional exchanges of militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
The announcement, made by Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al Ansary in a put up on X, got here on the ultimate day of the unique four-day truce between the warring sides. A fourth swap of hostages for prisoners below that deal was anticipated later Monday. Qatar, together with the United States and Egypt, has been the important thing mediator within the ongoing battle between Israel and Hamas.
Israel has mentioned it might prolong the cease-fire by in the future for each 10 further hostages launched. After the Qatari announcement, Hamas confirmed it had agreed to a two-day extension “under the same terms.”
But Israel says it stays dedicated to crushing Hamas’ navy capabilities and ending its 16-year rule over Gaza after its Oct. 7 assault into southern Israel. That would possible imply increasing a floor offensive from devastated northern Gaza to the south, the place lots of of hundreds of Palestinians have crammed into United Nations shelters, and the place dire circumstances persist regardless of the elevated supply of assist below the truce.
Israel will resume its operations with “full force” as quickly as the present deal expires if Hamas doesn’t comply with additional hostage releases, with the aim of eliminating the group and releasing the remainder of the captives, authorities spokesperson Eylon Levy instructed reporters on Monday.
So far, 58 hostages have been launched throughout the present truce, together with 39 Israelis. Before the truce, 4 hostages have been freed, one other rescued and two have been discovered lifeless inside Gaza.
After weeks of nationwide trauma over the round 240 folks kidnapped by Hamas and different militants, scenes of the ladies and kids reuniting with households have rallied Israelis behind calls to return those that stay in captivity.
“We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep pushing,” two family members of Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old woman and twin Israeli-American citizen who was launched Sunday, mentioned in a press release.
Hamas and different militants might nonetheless be holding as much as 175 hostages, sufficient to probably prolong the cease-fire for 2 and a half weeks. But these embody quite a lot of troopers, and the militants are more likely to make a lot better calls for for his or her launch.
On Sunday, Hamas freed 17 hostages, together with 14 Israelis, and Israel launched 39 Palestinian prisoners — the third such change below the truce.
Most hostages seemed to be bodily nicely, however 84-year-old Elma Avraham was airlifted to Israel’s Soroka Medical Center in life-threatening situation due to insufficient care, the hospital mentioned.
Avraham’s daughter, Tali Amano, mentioned her mom was “hours from death” when she was delivered to the hospital. Avraham is presently sedated and has a respiratory tube, however Amano mentioned she instructed her of a brand new nice grandchild who was born whereas she was in captivity.
Avraham suffered from a number of persistent circumstances that required common medicines however was steady earlier than she was kidnapped, Amano mentioned Monday.
So far, 19 folks of different nationalities have been freed throughout the truce, largely Thai nationals. Many Thais work in Israel, largely as farm laborers.
The Palestinian prisoners launched have been largely youngsters accused of throwing stones and firebombs throughout confrontations with Israeli forces, or of less-serious offenses. Many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, together with these implicated in assaults, as heroes resisting occupation.
The freed hostages have largely stayed out of the general public eye, however particulars of their captivity have began to trickle out.
Merav Raviv, whose three family members have been launched Friday, mentioned that they had been fed irregularly and misplaced weight. One reported consuming primarily bread and rice and sleeping on a makeshift mattress of chairs pushed collectively. Hostages generally needed to look forward to hours to make use of the toilet, she mentioned.
More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed because the struggle started, roughly two thirds of them ladies and minors, in line with the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants. More than 1,200 folks have been killed on the Israeli facet, largely civilians killed within the preliminary assault. At least 77 troopers have been killed in Israel’s floor offensive.
The calm from the truce allowed glimpses of the destruction wreaked by weeks of Israeli bombardment that leveled whole neighborhoods.
Footage confirmed a posh of a number of dozen multi-story residential buildings that had been pummeled right into a panorama of wreckage within the northern city of Beit Hanoun. Nearly each constructing was destroyed or severely broken, some lowered to concrete frames half-slumped over. At a close-by U.N. faculty, the buildings have been intact however partially burned and riddled with holes.
The Israeli assault has pushed three-quarters of Gaza’s inhabitants from their properties, and now most of its 2.3 million individuals are crowded into the south. More than 1 million reside in U.N. shelters. The Israeli navy has barred lots of of hundreds of Palestinaisn who fled south from returning north.
Rain and wind added to the hardship of displaced Palestinians sheltering within the compound of Al-Aqsa hospital in central Gaza. Palestinians in coats baked flatbreads over a makeshift hearth amongst tents arrange on the muddy grounds.
Alaa Mansour mentioned the circumstances are merely horrendous.
“My clothes are all wet and I am unable to change them.” mentioned Mansour, who’s disabled. “I have not drunk water for two days, and there’s no bathroom to use.”
The U.N. says the truce made it attainable to scale up the supply of meals, water and medication to the most important quantity because the begin of the struggle. But the 160 to 200 vehicles a day remains to be lower than half what Gaza was importing earlier than the combating, at the same time as humanitarian wants have soared.
Long strains shaped exterior stations distributing cooking gas, allowed in for the primary time. Fuel for mills has been introduced for key service suppliers, together with hospitals, water and sanitation services, however bakeries have been unable to renew work, the U.N. mentioned.
Iyad Ghafary, a vendor within the city Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, mentioned many households have been nonetheless unable to retrieve the lifeless from below the rubble left by Israeli airstrikes, and that native authorities weren’t geared up to take care of the extent of destruction.
Many say the help shouldn’t be practically sufficient.
Amani Taha, a widow and mom of three who fled northern Gaza, mentioned she had solely managed to get one canned meal from a U.N. distribution heart because the cease-fire started.
She mentioned the crowds have overwhelmed native markets and gasoline stations as folks attempt to replenish on fundamentals. “People were desperate and went out to buy whenever they could,” she mentioned. “They are extremely worried that the war will return.”
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Jeffery and Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press author Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed.
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Full AP protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
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