Despite ongoing violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank, Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the cease-fire in Gaza for another week.
The war was initiated by Hamas’ never-before-seen terror attack on October 7th.
On Thursday, tensions remained high due to violent activity in the Palestinian territory, including Israel and the West Bank, which is currently occupied by Israel, as well as in Jerusalem.
23-year-old Palestinian assailant carried out
Israeli authorities reported that a 23-year-old Palestinian attacker opened fire at a busy Jerusalem bus stop, resulting in the deaths of three individuals.
Cabinet member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with far-right views.
The National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, promptly attributed the incident to Hamas.
According to BBC News, Gavir stated at the site of the attack that the individuals involved were allegedly members of Hamas, speaking with conflicting stances of a “cease-fire” and acts of terror. The two suspects were reportedly shot and killed by Israeli soldiers.
In a statement, it was declared that the truce between Israel and Hamas will be extended for at least one additional day, following the same guidelines set last week. These guidelines include the release of more hostages by Hamas and the release of more Palestinian prisoners by Israel on Thursday. Additionally, a larger number of humanitarian aid trucks will be permitted to enter Gaza during this prolonged cease-fire period.
On Thursday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on social media that they will continue the “operational pause” in the fighting in Gaza due to ongoing efforts to mediate the potential release of more Hamas-held hostages.
Israeli intelligence has been receiving a daily list of names from Hamas during the cease-fire, outlining which hostages are set to be freed. On Thursday, Netanyahu’s office released a statement confirming that they have received a list of women and children, in accordance with the terms of the agreement. As a result, the truce will remain in effect.
The temporary pause in hostilities between the two opposing forces started on November 24th. Originally planned for four days, it was prolonged by two more. The additional time was supposed to end at 7 a.m. in the local time zone (midnight Eastern) on Thursday, but was once again extended for a seventh day.
Frantic talks
The event took place in Doha.
On Wednesday, there was a meeting with mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States in an attempt to prolong the ceasefire. Both Israel and Hamas expressed their willingness to negotiate another agreement.
children.
Under the current agreement, for every one hostage that is freed, roughly three Palestinian prisoners are being released in the West Bank. The hostages that have been released thus far consist only of women and children.children
However, there is a possibility that men may be included in a future agreement.
Tensions have heightened in the West Bank as large crowds celebrate the release of prisoners and some display Hamas flags. This week, two Palestinian boys, aged eight and 15, were fatally shot by IDF forces during a raid in the town of Jenin. Palestinian health officials reported that security footage captured a group of boys running, with one of them falling to the ground and bleeding.
The Israeli Defense Forces reported that soldiers fired at individuals who were throwing explosives at them, but did not specify the involvement of the children who were not observed throwing anything in the surveillance footage. The military stated that two members of Islamic Jihad were killed by troops during the operation in Jenin.
The brief suspension of hostilities in the heavily populated Palestinian area has allowed for the liberation of numerous captives, received widespread praise from the global community, and shows no signs of being disrupted by the ongoing confrontations and aggression beyond Gaza.
Sixteen individuals being held captive, one of whom is a female American citizen.
Hamas released on Wednesday
A total of approximately 100 hostages held by Hamas have been released since the start of the cease-fire. Approximately 210 remain in captivity.Palestinians
Qatar has stated that 30 Palestinians were released on Wednesday as part of a prisoner exchange with Israel.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu stated that once Hamas returns all of the hostages, Israel will continue its operations in Gaza.
Netanyahu stated that he has been asked whether Israel will resume fighting after the current phase of returning hostages. His response is a clear yes, as there is no scenario in which they will not continue fighting until the end.
The Israeli military reports that their invasion of southern Israel on October 7th resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 individuals, with the majority being civilians and perpetrated by Hamas militants.
The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, reports that approximately 15,000 individuals have lost their lives in Gaza due to Israel’s counterattack through ground attacks and bombings.
Haley Ott and Margaret Brennan have both contributed to this report.
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Source: cbsnews.com