The truce between Israel and Hamas has been extended for two more days after Qatar announced that leaders from both sides have agreed to do so to facilitate more prisoner and hostage exchanges.
The extension followed an earlier agreement to a four-day pause in the fighting. By Monday night (November 27), three Israeli women and nine children were freed by Hamas in exchange for 33 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel earlier announced that it would extend the temporary ceasefire by one day for every 10 additional hostages released, which Hamas confirmed its agreement to.
However, Israel also said it remained committed to crushing Hamas's military capabilities and ending its 16-year rule over Gaza after its October 7 attack into southern Israel.
The negotiations were mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.
In response, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby welcomed the truce extension following a call on Monday between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, sources familiar with the matter told CNN on the condition of anonymity.
"We would, of course, hope to see the pause extended further, and that will depend upon Hamas continuing to release hostages," he told a press briefing.
Meanwhile, Israel made no immediate comments regarding the extension, according to Reuters.
UN SecGen Says Truce Extension Not Enough
There were no specific details on how many hostages would be released, but Egyptian officials said that the deal being negotiated would include the release of 20 Israel hostages in exchange for 60 Palestinian prisoners.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the truce extension was "a glimpse of hope," but also said two days was not enough time to meet Gaza's aid needs, which was part of the hostage and prisoner exchange deal.
"I strongly hope that this will enable us to increase even more the humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza that (are) suffering so much - knowing that even with that additional amount of time, it will be impossible to satisfy all the dramatic needs of the population," he told reporters.
Elderly Hostage in Critical Condition
As of Tuesday (November 28), a total of 51 Israeli hostages have been released under the truce, with an additional 19 hostages of other nationalities. Around 150 Palestinians have also been released from Israeli prisons and detention centers in exchange.
While most of the Israeli hostages appeared to be physically well, 84-year-old Elma Avraham, who was released on Sunday (November 26), was airlifted to Soroka Medical Center in critical condition.
Avraham's daughter, Tali Amano, was quoted by the Associated Press saying that her mother was "hours from death" when she was brought to hospital. As of writing, Avraham was currently sedated and has a breathing tube, but was able to hear that a new great-grandchild of hers was born while in captivity.
Amano added that her mother suffered from several chronic conditions requiring regular medications but was stable before October 7.
