US President, Joe Biden.
Monday marked the start of the final day of the Israeli-Hamas truce, with indications that the militant organisation was open to extending it following the release of additional hostages, including a four-year-old girl who had been left orphaned by its attack.
The first respite in the seven-week conflict has arrived in the form of tearful reunions between families and hostages who were freed in return for numerous Palestinian prisoners.
The worst attack in Israel’s history was carried out by the militant group Hamas on October 7, which prompted devastating Israeli bombardments of the Gaza Strip.
Calls for an extension of the truce before its scheduled expiration on Tuesday at 7:00 am (0500 GMT) gained traction as the most recent group of Israeli women and children left custody late on Sunday.
“That’s our goal, to keep this pause going beyond tomorrow so that we can continue to see more hostages come out and surge more humanitarian relief into those in need in Gaza,” US President Joe Biden said Sunday.
He went on to say that he wanted the fighting to stop for “as long as prisoners keep coming out.”
“I get a sense that all the players in the region are looking for a way to end this so the hostages are all released and… Hamas is completely no longer in control of Gaza.”
According to a source who spoke to AFP, Hamas has indicated that it is willing to keep the truce in place for an additional “two to four days.”
According to a source close to the movement, “the resistance believes it is possible to ensure the release of 20 to 40 Israeli prisoners” in that amount of time.
Under the terms of the agreement, Israel has freed 117 Palestinian prisoners and Hamas has released 39 Israeli hostages. Under different arrangements, 19 more foreign nationals have also been freed from Gaza.