Third Batch Of Hostages Released, Talks On Extension Of Truce In Progress (image-instagram/mahmoudhamda)
As the humanitarian truce reaches to its fourth day, Egypt, Qatar and the US are pressing for its extension beyond Monday. The Hamas militants have released 17 more hostages, including 14 Israeli and first American in the third exchange day of the truce. In turn, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel has now released 117 Palestinians in total, in which many of whom are boys under 18 years of age, while some as young as 14. Hamas has released a Russian hostage ‘in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladmir Putin”. The Russian-Israeli citizen is the first male hostage to be freed, reports AP.
In the fourth day exchange on Monday- a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinians prisoners are expected to be released.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said his administration is working on extending the four-day truce. “To keep this pause in fighting going beyond tomorrow is our goal – so that we can continue to see more hostages come out and surge more humanitarian relief to those in need,” Biden said in a message posted on X on Sunday.
To keep this pause in fighting going beyond tomorrow is our goal – so that we can continue to see more hostages come out and surge more humanitarian relief to those in need. pic.twitter.com/R9RO8OnTmu
— President Biden (@POTUS) November 26, 2023
Hamas has said that they would seek to extend the deal by looking to release a large number of hostages. Netanyahu issued a statement saying that he had spoken to US president and reiterated his offer to extend the cease-fire by an additional day for every 10 hostages Hamas releases. But Israel has confirmed that they would resume its offensive with all might once the truce expires.
Israel continues to carry out nightly raids across the occupied West Bank. Al Jazeera has reported that an ambulance was prevented by Israeli forces from reaching the Aqbat Jabr refugee camp in Jericho to help injured Palestinians. Israeli forces has reportedly stormed the village of Jaba in Jenin located in the northern part of the occupied territory. As per the report released by Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Prisoners Affairs, 3,200 Palestinians has been arrested by Israel since October 7 in the occupied West Bank. In this includes 49 journalists out of which 29 remains in detention.
Meanwhile, Cindy McCain, the director of the UN World Food Program (WFP), warned that Gaza is on the brink of famine and called for more aid to the besieged enclave before the four day truce end, she said in an interview with CBS. She hopes to have humanitarian aid for a longer period and not for just four days.
Fatah, the Palestinian political group headed by Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority has called for “a comprehensive and permanent end” to the Israeli “aggression” that targets civilians living in the Gaza strip and the occupied West Bank.
More than 14,854 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7 with thousands more believed to be trapped in the rubble.
