Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Extension Agreement... "Continued Hostage and Prisoner Exchange"

"Agreement to Extend for Two More Days Until the Morning of the 30th"

Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas have agreed to extend the temporary ceasefire by two days. According to the previous agreement, Hamas will release 20 Israeli hostages over two days, and Israel is expected to sequentially release 30 Palestinian prisoners.

On the 27th (local time), according to Bloomberg and other sources, Qatar, the mediator of the ceasefire negotiations, announced through social media platform X that "an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip by two days." Hamas also confirmed its agreement to extend the ceasefire period by two days, stating that "the conditions are the same as the previous ceasefire."

The United States also officially confirmed the extension of the ceasefire. John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House National Security Council (NSC), stated that during the extended ceasefire period, 20 Israeli women and child hostages will be released. Thus, the four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which began at 7 a.m. on the 24th, will continue until the morning of the 30th.

A Palestinian prisoner released from Israel is kissing his mother's forehead on the 27th (local time) in Hebron, West Bank. According to a report by the Palestinian NGO 'Palestinian Prisoners Club,' more than 3,000 Palestinians have been arrested since the outbreak of the conflict.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Earlier, Israel agreed to extend the ceasefire if an additional 10 hostages were released daily. After announcements from Qatar and the United States about the ceasefire extension agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "We are continuing to implement the agreed plan regarding the hostages."

After concluding a ministerial meeting to approve the wartime cabinet budget, Prime Minister Netanyahu told reporters, "We are also continuing to advance key objectives such as the release of hostages, the elimination of Hamas, and ensuring the prevention of renewed threats from the Gaza Strip."

Both sides agreed to release 50 Israeli hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners during the four-day ceasefire. Hamas released a total of 39 Israeli hostages over three days from the 24th to the 26th, while Israel released 117 Palestinian prisoners, three times that number. In addition to Israeli hostages, 19 foreign hostages from countries including Thailand and Russia were also released separately.

Israel's ally, the United States, has pressured Israel to extend the ceasefire, citing the fact that its citizens are held hostage by Hamas. After Hamas released a 4-year-old American girl the previous day, U.S. President Joe Biden informed the public directly through an emergency national address. According to the White House, besides the released 4-year-old girl, nine Americans, including eight citizens and one permanent resident, remain held hostage by Hamas.

Following the announcement of the ceasefire extension, President Biden stated in a press release, "We are maximizing the ceasefire to increase the amount of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, and we will continue to work to build a future of peace and dignity for the Palestinian people."

Calls from the international community to expand humanitarian aid are also growing. United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres described the ceasefire extension as hopeful but insufficient for humanitarian relief efforts. He said, "I strongly hope that this ceasefire extension will allow for increased humanitarian aid to the suffering people of the Gaza Strip, but it will be impossible to meet all the needs of the Gaza population during the additional time granted."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.