Negotiators are trying to extend the truce between Israel and Hamas
Negotiators are working frantically on Friday to extend the pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, while a senior Israeli official reiterated plans to resume the war if the Palestinian military group does not agree to release more hostages, reports News.ro.
After two last-minute extensions, the enemies marked the seventh day of a Qatar-brokered truce on Thursday with the exchange of eight hostages for 30 Palestinian prisoners, as well as the infusion of new humanitarian aid into the devastated Gaza Strip. The Wall Street Journal, citing Egyptian officials, reported on Friday that Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the truce for an eighth day, in a deal that will involve the release of more Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Mark Regev, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel was open to continuing the ceasefire if Hamas committed to freeing other hostages. Previously, Israel had agreed to release at least ten hostages a day in exchange for an end to the attacks.
"We are prepared for all possibilities ... Without this, we go back to fighting," he told CNN.
Before the previous truce expired on Thursday morning, Hamas and its ally, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, alerted their fighters to a resumption of hostilities.
Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas, which rules Gaza, in response to the October 7 violence by the military group, when Israel says gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages.
