Rabat – Just hours before the end of the initial four-day ceasefire, Qatar announced on Monday night an extension until Thursday, aiming to facilitate the release of more hostages, maintaining the ratio of one Israeli hostage for every three Palestinian hostages observed in the previous days.
The truce, initiated on November 24 and brokered under Qatar’s mediation with support from Egypt and the United States, has already led to the release of 150 Palestinian hostages held by Israel and 50 Israeli captives detained in Gaza since October 7.
This cessation of hostilities has also allowed for the entry of new humanitarian aid trucks into the besieged Gaza Strip, which has endured constant and deadly bombardment by the Israeli military for seven weeks.
“Over the past three days, small amounts of cooking gas have entered Gaza for the first time since the start of the conflict,” stated the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The toll of the Israeli aggression is staggering, with nearly 15,000 lives lost, including over 6,000 children.
Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres welcomed the truce extension, describing it as a “glimmer of hope in the midst of the darkness of war.”
He also called on countries to “use their influence for a humanitarian ceasefire & support irreversible steps towards the only sustainable future for the region: a two-state solution.”
Notably, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to make another visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank by the end of the week. His agenda includes meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
According to a statement from the State Department, Blinken will address “Israel’s right to defend itself” and emphasize “the necessity to continue providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, ensuring the release of all hostages, and enhancing the protection of civilians in Gaza.”
