By Sabiu Abdullahi
The delicate truce between Israel and Hamas faced a pivotal moment on Thursday as both parties agreed to extend the ceasefire just moments before its scheduled expiration at 0500 GMT.
The Israeli military declared an “operational pause” without specifying the duration, citing ongoing mediator efforts and the complex hostage release process.
Hamas echoed the extension for a seventh day, leaving the specifics shrouded in uncertainty.
Qatar, spearheading the truce negotiations, confirmed the extension until Friday, a decision met with anticipation amid calls for a lengthened pause to facilitate additional hostage releases and increased humanitarian aid to the ravaged Gaza Strip.
The timing coincided with the arrival of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for crucial talks on Wednesday night.
The truce, initiated on October 7, brought a temporary cessation to hostilities that erupted when Hamas militants crossed into Israel, resulting in a toll of 1,200 lives, predominantly civilians, and the abduction of approximately 240 individuals, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel’s subsequent air and ground campaign in Gaza reportedly claimed nearly 15,000 lives, predominantly civilians, and left large parts of the northern region in ruins, as reported by Hamas officials.
Crucially, the truce agreement permits extensions contingent on Hamas releasing ten hostages daily. A source close to the group expressed a willingness to extend the pause by four days.
However, with a mere hour remaining before the truce’s expiration, Hamas disclosed that its offer to release seven hostages and hand over the bodies of three individuals killed in Israeli bombardment had been rebuffed.
Both sides had previously declared their readiness to resume hostilities, with Hamas’s armed wing instructing fighters to “maintain high military readiness” in anticipation of combat resumption if the truce elapsed.
IDF spokesman Doron Spielman issued a warning of a swift return to operational mode, vowing to continue targeting Gaza if the truce lapsed.