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JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed to increase a brief truce by one other day minutes earlier than it was set to run out, stated Qatar, which has been mediating between the 2 sides.
Negotiations on extending it got here all the way down to the wire, with last-minute disagreements over the hostages to be freed by Hamas in change for one more day of a halt in combating.
Phrase of the extension got here simply because the truce was to run out at 7 am (0500 GMT) Thursday. The Qatari International Ministry stated the truce was being prolonged beneath the identical phrases as up to now, beneath which Hamas has launched 10 Israeli hostages per day in change for the discharge of 30 Palestinian prisoners.
The announcement adopted a last-minute standoff earlier Thursday, with Hamas saying Israel had rejected a proposed record that included seven residing captives and the stays of three who the group stated have been killed in earlier Israeli airstrikes. Israel later stated Hamas submitted an improved record, paving the way in which for the extension.
Negotiators had been working into Thursday to hammer out particulars for an additional extension of the truce. The expectation had been to increase the pause in combating for a minimum of one other day or two, with the deal with releasing ladies and youngsters.
The talks look like rising harder as many of the ladies and youngsters held by Hamas are freed, because the militants are anticipated to hunt higher releases in return for liberating males and troopers.
Worldwide strain has mounted for the cease-fire to proceed so long as attainable after practically eight weeks of Israeli bombardment and a floor marketing campaign in Gaza that has killed hundreds of Palestinians uprooted three-quarters of the inhabitants of two.3 million, and led to a humanitarian disaster. Israel has welcomed the launch of dozens of hostages in latest days and says it would keep the truce if Hamas retains liberating captives.
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Reported by WAFAA SHURAFA, JACK JEFFERY AND MELANIE LIDMAN Related Press
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