Israel outlines future after Gaza ceasefire ends

Eleven more Israeli hostages were released from Gaza in exchange for dozens of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, as both sides agreed to extend the existing ceasefire by two days.

According to The Guardian, Hamas released the hostages – nine children and two women – late on Monday, all of them from Kibbutz Nir Oz, community representatives said. Qatar said the recently released hostages included three with French citizenship, two with German citizenship and six with Argentine nationality. The release brought “a sigh of relief to our community, but we remain deeply concerned about the fate of our loved ones who are still being held hostage,” kibbutz spokeswoman Osnat Peri said. This brings the total number released by Hamas from Friday to Monday inclusive to 58.

Photos released by the Israeli military showed French-Israeli child Eitan Yahalomi reunited with his mother, who held him tightly to her. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the group underwent medical examinations before being reunited with their families. Authorities said they would continue to seek the return of all those abducted and asked people to respect the privacy of those who had been released.

Shortly thereafter, Israeli prison authorities confirmed the release of 33 more Palestinian prisoners – 30 children and three women. This was the last exchange under the original ceasefire agreement.

In East Jerusalem, prisoner Muhammad Abu al-Hummus called his release an “indescribable joy” and kissed his mother’s hand as he entered his home, while crowds in the West Bank city of Beitunia waved green Hamas flags to greet arrivals on the bus.

But near Ofer prison there were also clashes with Israeli troops, during which Palestinians burned tires and threw stones. The Palestinian Health Ministry said one person was killed by Israeli forces.

The latest developments come after Hamas said it had agreed to extend the four-day truce by 48 hours following intervention by Qatar and Egypt, the main mediators of the original agreement, and on the same terms.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that “to extend the pause, Hamas has pledged to release 20 more women and children.”

Israel has not commented on any agreement to extend the truce, but in what may be an indirect confirmation, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said the government has approved adding 50 female prisoners to its list of Palestinians for potential release if additional Israeli hostages are released.

Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, welcomed the extension as “a glimmer of hope and humanity amid the darkness of war.”

This week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will make his third visit to the Middle East since the Gaza war, where he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

“The Secretary of State will emphasize the need to maintain an increased flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, ensure the release of all hostages and improve the protection of civilians in Gaza,” a senior US source said.

Blinken will discuss “the principles he has laid out for the future of Gaza and the need for an independent Palestinian state,” the official added.

There are widespread fears that any break in the conflict, which has devastated parts of Gaza and killed many thousands of civilians, will only be short-lived, The Guardian notes.

Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defense minister, told troops on Monday that when fighting resumes, their “force will be greater and they will extend across the entire strip.” “Now you have a few days, we will return to combat, we will use the same amount of force and even more,” Gallant said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to crush Hamas, The Guardian recalls.

The White House welcomed the agreement to extend the truce. Joe Biden said the deal was reached “through extensive U.S. mediation and diplomacy,” adding: “We will take full advantage of the pause in fighting to increase the amount of humanitarian aid flowing into Gaza, and we will continue our efforts to build a peaceful and dignified future for the Palestinian people.”

International pressure to extend the ceasefire has been intense, with the US, UN and the EU’s most senior diplomat urging Israel not to renew its offensive in Gaza when the current truce was due to expire on Tuesday morning.

On Monday, Guterres pushed for a full humanitarian ceasefire instead of a temporary truce that Israel has so far resisted.

Guterres again called for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Hamas was reported to be seeking a four-day extension, while Israel wanted a daily extension. Divisions within the paramilitary organization have complicated negotiations, as have difficulties communicating with leaders in Gaza.

A Hamas official has suggested the militant Islamist group may be willing to negotiate the release of some soldiers captured last month. The future of these hostages has not previously been discussed.

Israel still holds more than 7,000 Palestinian prisoners, many of them far more visible than the children and women released so far. Their freedom is believed to have been one of the main targets of attacks last month. Yahya Sinwar, a Hamas leader in Gaza, was released by Israel in 2011 after 23 years in prison in a deal that saw more than 1,000 prisoners exchanged for one Israeli soldier.

The war began when Hamas broke through the perimeter fence around Gaza on October 7 and attacked populated areas in southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians in their homes and at a music festival. More than 240 people were abducted, including infants, elderly people, disabled people, soldiers and foreign farm workers.

Between 13,000 and 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive launched after the Hamas attack, about two-thirds of them women and children, according to the health ministry of Hamas-ruled Gaza. More than 1 million people were forced to flee their homes.

At least 57 journalists and media workers have been killed in the conflict so far, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.