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JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed to increase their cease-fire by one other day, simply minutes earlier than it was set to run out. The truce in Gaza appeared more and more tenuous as most girls and kids held by the militants have already been launched in swaps for Palestinian prisoners.
As phrase of the extension got here Thursday morning, gunmen opened fireplace on folks ready for buses the place a fundamental freeway from Tel Aviv enters Jerusalem, killing not less than two folks and wounding seven others, in line with police and Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service.
Police stated the 2 attackers have been killed. It was unclear if the assault was carried out by a Palestinian militant group or people appearing on their very own, or if it could have any affect on the truce in Gaza.
Worldwide stress has mounted for the cease-fire to proceed so long as potential after practically eight weeks of Israeli bombardment and a floor marketing campaign in Gaza which have killed 1000’s of Palestinians, uprooted three quarters of the inhabitants of two.3 million and led to a humanitarian disaster.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel late Wednesday on his third journey to the area for the reason that begin of the battle, and is anticipated to press for additional extensions of the truce and the discharge of extra hostages.
Qatar, which has performed a key position in mediating with Hamas, stated the truce was being prolonged below the identical phrases as up to now, with Hamas releasing 10 Israeli hostages per day in trade for Israel’s launch of 30 Palestinian prisoners.
The announcement adopted a last-minute standoff, with Hamas saying Israel had rejected a proposed listing that included seven dwelling captives and the stays of three who the group stated have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. Israel later stated Hamas submitted an improved listing, paving the best way for the extension.
The talks look like rising more durable, with Hamas having already freed a lot of the ladies and kids captured in the course of the lethal Oct. 7 assault on Israel that triggered the battle. The militants are anticipated to make better calls for in return for releasing males and troopers.
Israel says it should preserve the truce till Hamas stops releasing captives, at which level it should resume its offensive geared toward eliminating the group. With Israeli troops holding a lot of northern Gaza, a floor invasion south — the place most of Gaza’s inhabitants is now concentrated — will doubtless convey an escalating price in Palestinian lives and destruction.
The Biden administration has instructed Israel that if it launches an offensive within the south, it should function with far better precision.
INCREASINGLY TENSE HOSTAGE TALKS
The plight of the captives and shock from Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault in southern Israel have galvanized Israeli help for the battle. However Netanyahu is below stress to convey the hostages residence and will discover it troublesome to renew the offensive if there’s a prospect of extra releases.
The preliminary truce, which started on Friday and had already been prolonged as soon as, requires the discharge of girls and kids. Israeli officers say Gaza militants nonetheless maintain round 20 ladies, who would all be launched in a number of days if the swaps proceed on the present charge.
After that, conserving the truce going relies on more durable negotiations over the discharge of round 126 males Israel says are held captive, together with a number of dozen troopers.
For males — and particularly troopers — Hamas is anticipated to push for comparable releases of Palestinian males or distinguished detainees, a deal Israel might resist.
To this point, most Palestinians launched have been youngsters accused of throwing stones and firebombs throughout confrontations with Israeli forces. A number of have been ladies convicted by Israeli army courts of making an attempt to assault troopers. Palestinians have celebrated the discharge of individuals they see as having resisted Israel’s decades-long army occupation of lands they need for a future state.
An Israeli official concerned in hostage negotiations stated talks on an extra extension for launch of civilian males and troopers have been nonetheless preliminary, and {that a} deal wouldn’t be thought of till all the ladies and kids are out. The official spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of negotiations have been ongoing.
With Wednesday’s releases, a complete of 73 Israelis, together with twin nationals, have been freed in the course of the six-day truce, most of whom seem bodily effectively however shaken. One other 24 hostages — 23 Thais and one Filipino — have additionally been launched. Earlier than the cease-fire, Hamas launched 4 hostages, and the Israeli military rescued one. Two others have been discovered useless in Gaza.
Hamas kidnapped some 240 folks in the course of the assault on southern Israel that started the battle, together with infants, kids, ladies, troopers, older adults and Thai farm laborers. It killed over 1,200 folks within the Oct. 7 assault, largely civilians.
Israel’s bombardment and floor invasion in Gaza have killed greater than 13,300 Palestinians, roughly two-thirds of them ladies and minors, in line with the Well being Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.
The toll is probably going a lot greater, as officers have solely sporadically up to date the depend since Nov. 11 as a result of breakdown of companies within the north. The ministry says 1000’s extra persons are lacking and feared useless below the rubble.
Israel says 77 of its troopers have been killed within the floor offensive. It claims to have killed 1000’s of militants, with out offering proof.
IN GAZA, AN ANXIOUS RESPITE
For Palestinians in Gaza, the truce’s calm has been overwhelmed by the seek for support and by horror on the extent of destruction.
Within the north, residents described complete residential blocks as leveled in Gaza Metropolis and surrounding areas. The odor of decomposing our bodies trapped below collapsed buildings fills the air, stated Mohmmed Mattar, a 29-year-old resident of Gaza Metropolis who together with different volunteers searches for the useless below rubble or left within the streets.
Within the south, the truce has allowed extra support to be delivered from Egypt, as much as 200 vehicles a day. However support officers say it’s not sufficient, given that almost all now rely on exterior support. Overwhelmed U.N.-run shelters home over 1 million displaced folks, with many sleeping exterior in chilly, wet climate.
At a distribution middle in Rafah, giant crowds line up each day for baggage of flour however provides run out shortly.
“Each day, we come right here … we spend cash on transportation to get right here, simply to go residence with nothing,” stated one lady in line, Nawal Abu Namous.
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Jobain reported from Rafah, Gaza Strip and Chehayeb from Beirut. Related Press author Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed.
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Full AP protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
Melanie Lidman, Najib Jobain And Kareem Chehayeb, The Related Press
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