Temporarily Ceasefire in Gaza Extended for One More Day

Gaza, MINA – Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the ceasefire temporarily for one more day, just minutes before the agreement expires on Thursday morning, The Electronic Intifada reported.

Despite international pressure for an indefinite ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Wednesday that his war cabinet intended to “fight to the end” in Gaza.

Netanyahu said his goal of eliminating Hamas and ensuring “that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel… remains the same.”

Netanyahu added that Israel would resume hostilities “after the victim restitution phase of our funding runs out.”

The temporary ceasefire that started last Friday was extended for two days starting Tuesday.

As Thursday morning approached the end of the ceasefire, and no agreement on extending the ceasefire had been reached, Hamas’ military wing released its troops to prepare for the resumption of fighting if the ceasefire was not extended.

Every day during the ceasefire, Hamas has released women, children and foreign nationals held in Gaza since its attack on October 7, with a disproportionate number of releases of Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons and remote centers.

Israel said that 1,200 people were killed in a surprise Hamas attack on October 7. Meanwhile at least 15,000 Palestinians – most of them women and children – were martyred in the subsequent Israeli military operation, which has also destroyed much of the civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Most of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people have become refugees. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)