Amid rising hopes for an extension of the temporary truce that has entered its sixth day and is expected to end tomorrow morning, a source familiar with the negotiations revealed that Hamas has agreed to the extension. The source stated today, Wednesday, that Hamas "has informed the mediators of the Palestinian factions' approval for extending the truce for four days," according to a report by AFP. The source also added that "the movement has the capability to release Israeli prisoners held by it and by various factions and entities during this period under the established mechanism and the same conditions."
The current truce is expected to last until 7 AM on Thursday (5 AM GMT) after being extended for two days initially. This comes after several sources familiar with the negotiations conducted by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, who play the role of mediators between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, confirmed that an extension of this ceasefire is close to being reached. Additionally, it was clarified that the discussions are also focusing on expanding the negotiations for prisoner exchanges between both parties to include Israeli men and soldiers held by Hamas since October 7. Furthermore, consultative discussions addressed the possibility of extending the truce for a longer duration to establish a permanent ceasefire, noting that "the gap remains significant" with Israel's rejection of this matter.
