Israel and Hamas agree to extend temporary Gaza truce
Israel and Hamas struck a last-minute agreement on Thursday to extend their 6-day ceasefire by at least one more day to allow negotiators to keep working on deals to swap hostages held in Gaza strip for Palestinian prisoners.
The truce has allowed much needed humanitarian aid into Gaza after much of the coastal territory of 2.3 million was reduced to wasteland in response to a deadly rampage by Hamas fighters into southern Israel on 7 October.
'In light of the mediators' efforts to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the terms of the framework, the operational pause will continue,' the Israeli military said in a statement, released minutes before the temporary truce was due to expire at 0500 GMT.
Military organization Hamas, which freed 16 hostages in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners on Wednesday, said in a statement the truce would continue for a 7th day.
The conditions of the ceasefire, including the halt of hostilities and the entry of humanitarian aid, remain the same, according to a foreign ministry spokesman from Qatar, which has been a key mediator between the warring sides, along with Egypt and the United States.
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