On what was expected to be the final day of a four-day military pause between Israel and Hamas militants, the two parties agreed to a two-day extension on Monday evening, according to mediator Qatar.
White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. “welcome(s) the announcement” and revealed Hamas was committed to releasing “another 20 women and children” in the coming days.
Though United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the agreement as “a glimpse of hope and humanity,” he warned that the extension would not be enough. Guterres added that “Even with that additional amount of time, it will be impossible to satisfy all the dramatic needs of the population.”
The truce agreed last week was the first halt in fighting in the seven weeks since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages back into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. In response to that attack, Israel has bombarded the enclave and mounted a ground offensive in the north. More than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says, with hundreds of thousands displaced.
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