By Ken Afor
On Tuesday, a fifth day of a ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters continued, as the four-day period was prolonged another 48 hours to enable the release of more hostages.
However, there are speculations that both opposing parties may consider a further extension of the ceasefire.
From Israel, a single column of black smoke was visible rising above the ruined landscape of the northern Gaza war zone, yet there was no discernible plane in the atmosphere or noise of blasts in the first day of the two-day extension of the ceasefire.
In the morning, reports of Israeli tank fire in the Sheikh Radwan district in Gaza City emerged from both sides, though no immediate reports of casualties were recorded. This was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Forces.
“After suspects approached IDF troops, an IDF tank fired a warning shot.”
Fifty Israeli women and children, some as young as toddlers, were liberated from the 240 hostages held by Hamas fighters during a ceasefire on October 7.
This action by Hamas was met with the release of 150 security detainees, all female and underage, from the prisons in Israel.
Under the truce agreement, Hamas additionally freed 19 foreign hostages, the majority of whom were Thai agricultural workers, by means of different deals.
Israel has indicated that the truce could be extended provided Hamas continues to free ten captives each day; however, with a reduced number of females and minors in captivity, keeping the weapons silent beyond Wednesday may necessitate negotiations to liberate some Israeli males for the first time.
“We hope the occupation (Israel) abides (by the agreement) in the next two days because we are seeking a new agreement, besides women and children, whereby other categories that we have that we can swap,” Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya told Al Jazeera late on Monday.
Gideon Saar, a minister in the Israeli security cabinet, declared to Army Radio that a two-day continuance has been established as specified in the initial proposal, and Israel is still eager to increase the truce if more captives are discharged.
“Immediately upon the completion of the hostage-recovery framework, the war will be renewed,” he said.
Majed Al-Ansari, the foreign ministry spokesperson, announced that Qatar was currently endeavoring to achieve a longer truce between Egypt, the United States and itself with Hamas releasing more captives in exchange.
