Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas have come close to an agreement to further extend the ceasefire period in exchange for the release of hostages. If the agreement is reached, the ceasefire period will be extended by two more days until the 2nd of next month, making the total ceasefire duration eight days. The United States has been providing humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, devastated by the war, by deploying military aircraft to transport relief supplies, continuing the international community's humanitarian support.
Mediators including Qatar in negotiations... Some expect extension beyond ten days
On the 28th (local time), major foreign media outlets cited sources reporting that Israel and Hamas have in principle agreed to extend the ceasefire by two more days under the same conditions as the previous agreement. An Israeli official said, "It has not been finalized yet," but added, "The matter is under review."
On the same day, William Burns, Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and David Barnea, Director of Israel's Mossad, held a trilateral meeting in Qatar with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, to discuss the ceasefire. The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "The focus is on further extending the ceasefire."
Notably, Abbas Kamel, Director of Egypt's General Intelligence Directorate, who is regarded as playing a key mediating role in the agreement between Israel and Hamas on the ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages and detainees, reportedly attended the meeting. The Israeli daily Haaretz described Kamel's participation in the Qatar talks as "unprecedented," emphasizing the significance and possibility of the agreement.
A Palestinian who was imprisoned in Israel was released in the early morning of the 28th (local time) in Ramallah, West Bank of the Jordan River in Israel, and is being welcomed. [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]
Israel and Hamas entered a four-day ceasefire starting on the 24th under the condition of exchanging three Palestinian detainees for every one Israeli hostage, and subsequently extended the ceasefire by two days. If extended by an additional two days, the total ceasefire period will be eight days, ending at 7 a.m. on the 2nd of next month. Some speculate that the ceasefire could exceed the maximum duration of ten days initially set by Israel.
A senior diplomatic source said regarding the possibility of extending the ceasefire, "If there is a concrete proposal, the (Israeli) cabinet will consider it, but nothing has been presented yet," adding, "If it is a serious proposal, it will be examined," according to Israeli media outlet Ynet.
While Israel and Hamas are discussing extending the ceasefire period in connection with the release of hostages, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Israel and the West Bank again. Secretary Blinken arrived in Brussels the previous day for the NATO foreign ministers' meeting. According to a State Department official, his visit to the Middle East is scheduled for later this week after the NATO agenda.
The official stated, "Secretary Blinken will emphasize the need to maintain the momentum of increased humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, secure the release of all hostages, and improve protection for civilians within Gaza." This will be Blinken's fourth visit to Israel since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7.
On the 27th (local time), the fourth day of the temporary ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas, a relief supply truck with a UN flag attached is moving from central to northern Gaza Strip. Ant?nio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, evaluated that the agreement between Israel and Hamas to extend the ceasefire by two days was not enough time for humanitarian aid. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]
12 More Hostages Released on the 5th Day of Ceasefire
On the fifth day of the ceasefire, Hamas released 12 additional hostages. The Israeli military announced via social media platform X that "according to information provided by the Red Cross, 12 individuals, including 10 Israeli hostages and 2 foreign nationals, are en route to Israel."
Qatar explained, "Among the 10 Israeli hostages, 9 are women and 1 is a child," adding, "One of them holds Austrian nationality, and two have dual Argentine citizenship." The Israeli Prime Minister's Office confirmed that the two foreign nationals released alongside them are Thai.
If they arrive safely in Israel, the total number of Israeli hostages released from Gaza since the temporary ceasefire began on the 24th will reach 60. Israel, which has released a total of 150 Palestinian detainees since the ceasefire started, plans to release an additional 30 detainees on this day.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message, "We will complete this ceasefire arrangement to secure the release of all hostages," adding, "After women and children, the next priority is the rescue of all hostages without exception."
A truck bearing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) mark is entering the Gaza Strip from Egypt through the Rafah border checkpoint on the 27th (local time). [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]
U.S. Deploys Military Aircraft for the First Time to Transport Gaza Relief Supplies
The United States deployed military aircraft to transport relief supplies to Egypt. On this day, the White House National Security Council (NSC) announced that a U.S. military transport plane, a C-19, carrying relief supplies arrived in the northern Sinai region of Egypt. This marks the first time U.S. military aircraft have been used to transport humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
The transport plane carried approximately 24.5 tons of humanitarian aid, including medical supplies, food, and winter items. The supplies delivered to Egypt will be transported overland into the Gaza Strip for distribution.
The United States plans to transport humanitarian aid with a total of three military aircraft, with two more planes expected to arrive in the region within a few days.
The U.S. Central Command stated that this transport was conducted at the request of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), according to USAID.
Additionally, the United States is discussing resuming commercial deliveries to the Gaza Strip. An NSC official said, "Everyone, including President Joe Biden, understands that the current volume is nowhere near sufficient for daily life in Gaza," adding, "We will continue to pursue additional measures, including restoring commercial goods transportation."
Another official explained, "The first phase is to continue delivering basic humanitarian supplies through the United Nations and other agencies, which is the current stage," adding, "The next phase involves commercial goods, which means starting to allow 300 to 400 trucks per day into Gaza."
He continued, "To bring in aid at this scale, inspection procedures must be increased and strengthened," adding, "We hope that once this (ceasefire) ends, the second phase of the humanitarian program can begin."
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