Israel and Hamas Agreed to Extend Their Truce, Qatar Says

Israel and Hamas agreed today to extend by two days a cease-fire that has brought a measure of calm to the Gaza Strip after seven weeks of intense warfare, according to officials in Qatar who were involved in the negotiations. The two sides struck a deal to exchange more hostages and prisoners and allow more aid into Gaza.

The agreement came as the truce, which was set to expire tomorrow morning, secured the freedom of dozens of hostages and proved largely successful. After a brief snag in negotiations, 11 more Israeli hostages — two women and nine minors — were released into the custody of Israel’s military. Here’s the latest .

A senior official in Egypt, which is helping mediate the talks, said that a two-day extension would include the daily release of 10 women and children being held hostage in Gaza in exchange for 30 Palestinian detainees being held in Israeli prisons.

The lengthened truce raised hopes in Washington that the trajectory of the conflict could bend toward the release of additional captives and the delivery of more aid to Gaza , where thousands of civilians have been killed and conditions are desperate. A White House spokesman said the U.S. would like to see the truce “extended further until all the hostages are released.”

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