Qatar announced today the extension for one more day of the humanitarian truce between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which began on Friday and expired this Thursday, and in which both parties exchanged hostages for prisoners. Egypt and Qatar, key mediators between Israel y Hamasannounced today that they have intensified their efforts to extend the truce agreement in the Gaza Strip for another two days before the expiration of the second extension, of only 24 hours.
The extension of the humanitarian truce allows the daily release of 10 hostages in the hands of Hamas in exchange for Israel’s release of 30 Palestinian prisoners, as well as increased humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza through the Rafah crossing, between Egypt and the Palestinian enclave.
During its first six days, 210 Palestinian prisoners, all women and children, have been released as part of the exchange pact, while Hamas has released 97 captives in Gazaamong them 73 Israelis and 24 foreigners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his Foreign Minister to invite the Spanish ambassador in Israel to a reprimand conversation“, for the statements this Thursday by Pedro Sánchez, which he considers “shameful” and calls his ambassador in Madrid for consultations. Sánchez said this morning in an interview on TVE that he has “frank doubts that Israel is complying with international law humanitarian”.