CAIRO/JERUSALEM: A truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza that was on the verge of expiring was extended by two days, mediator Qatar said on Monday, raising the prospect the Palestinian group will free hostages beyond the 69 released since Friday.
The truce will prolong a pause in the seven-week war between Israel and the Islamist Palestinian group, which triggered the latest conflict with an Oct 7 incursion into southern Israel in which it killed about 1,200 people and took roughly 240 hostage.
Each day since the four-day truce began on Friday, Hamas has released some of the hostages while Israel has freed some of the Palestinians it holds.
Israel previously said it would extend the truce by one day for every 10 more hostages released, providing some respite to Palestinians in the Mediterranean seaside strip from the war, which has killed thousands and laid waste to the enclave.
"An agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian pause for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip," a Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said in a post on social media platform X. Hamas also said it had agreed a two-day extension.
There was no immediate comment from Israel, but a White House official confirmed agreement had been reached.
US President Joe Biden thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Qatar and Egypt - who have facilitated indirect talks between the two sides - for a pact that would free more hostages and allow more aid into Gaza.
On Monday, the Israeli military said 11 Israeli hostages - the latest to be freed under the terms of the original truce that was due to end on Monday - had arrived in Israel.