Hamas wants ceasefire extension with Israel under new conditions: Report
Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has said it is interested in extending the four-day truce with Israel if it releases more Palestinian detainees, reported Reuters. The statement came on Sunday after Hamas released 17 more hostages—among the 240 captured from Israel last month—on day three of the four-day ceasefire agreement. On the other hand, Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners as part of the deal.
Why does this story matter?
The four-day truce between Israel and Hamas is scheduled to end on Monday, with Israel previously hinting at extending the pause if the Palestinian terrorist group releases at least 10 hostages every day. Furthermore, countries like the United States (US), Qatar, and Egypt are also pushing to extend the ceasefire beyond Monday. Notably, Hamas killed around 1,200 civilians and took about 240 hostages during its cross-border October 7 attacks in southern Israel.
Hostage releases and truce negotiations
Hamas has so far released 58 hostages as part of the truce brokered by Egypt and Qatar to halt the hostilities between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in return for humanitarian aid. While the terrorist group released 24 hostages on Friday, it freed 17 captives each on Saturday and Sunday. A fourth exchange is likely on Monday, the last day of the temporary ceasefire deal.
Israeli airstrikes and hospital explosion investigation
During a media address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the release of the third batch of Hamas hostages on Sunday. Furthermore, Netanyahu also revealed that the Jewish nation will resume operations in Gaza with "full force" to reach its goals after the truce with Hamas ends. These include "the elimination of Hamas, ensuring that Gaza does return to what it was, and of course, the release of all our hostages," he said.
IDF confirms eliminating top Hamas commanders in Gaza
Meanwhile, on Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it killed five senior Hamas commanders in Gaza before the operational pause. These include Hamas's Northern Gaza Brigade commander, Ahmed Ghandour, deputy commander Wael Rajeb, and the group's rockets array chief, Aiman Siam. Furthermore, senior operative Farsan Halifa and Hamas's Combat Assistance Unit commander Rafet Salman were also eliminated by IDF.
