WASHINGTON — The four-day pause in the fighting between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip will be extended by two days, according to the government of Qatar, which helped negotiate the fragile truce.
“The State of Qatar announces, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian pause for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari wrote in a post on X.
As part of the truce extension, Hamas has committed to releasing an additional 20 women and children over the next two days, US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Monday.
Set to expire on Monday night, the initial deal called for Hamas to release 50 women and children taken during its Oct. 7 assault, and in return, Israel would free 150 Palestinian women and minors held in Israeli jails.
