A truce between Israel and Hamas will be extended by two days, mediator Qatar said hours before the
pause was due to end on Tuesday, November 28, as more hostages were freed from Gaza in exchange
for the release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners.
“The Palestinian and Israeli sides have reached an agreement to extend the humanitarian pause in Gaza
for two additional days under the same conditions,” Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X,
formerly Twitter.
Militant group Hamas also confirmed the extension, though there was no official word from Israel. The
extension came as 11 more hostages were freed from Gaza, along with the release of another 33
Palestinian prisoners – the last exchange under the existing deal.
The extension of the truce was welcomed internationally, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres
calling it “a glimpse of hope and humanity in the middle of the darkness of war.”
The deal for two additional days of cease-fire, announced by Qatar, raised hopes for further extensions,
which also allow more aid into Gaza. Conditions there have remained dire for 2.3 million Palestinians,
battered by weeks of Israeli bombardment and a ground offensive that have driven three quarters of
the population from their homes.