On Tuesday, the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip entered its fifth day. During this time, both parties had successfully freed Israeli captives and Palestinians who had been held. Additionally, the two-day extension of the cease-fire allowed them to release more Palestinians.

According to Israeli sources, Hamas abducted around 240 captives during an invasion of southern Israel on October 7. The assault resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people. As a result, Israel retaliated by bombarding the coastal enclave and launching a ground attack in its northern region.

Israel said on Monday that eleven Israelis have returned to the nation from the Gaza Strip. This brings the total number of Israeli and foreign prisoners that the Islamist Palestinian organization has released since Friday as a result of the cease-fire to 69.

On Monday, the White House and Qatari negotiators announced that the initial four-day truce in combat, scheduled to conclude at 0500 GMT on Tuesday, had been extended for two days.

Though Israel has not commented on any deal to prolong the truce, the office of the Israeli prime minister has stated that the government has authorized the inclusion of fifty female inmates on its list of Palestinians who are eligible for prospective release if further Israeli hostages are released. This may be interpreted as an implicit confirmation of the arrangement.

Israel had earlier stated that it would prolong the cease-fire by one day for every ten additional hostages that were released, which would provide some relief from the ongoing conflict.

Israeli Army Radio stated that the Israeli government has been provided with a list of captives who are anticipated to be freed on Tuesday. The Israeli prime minister’s office was cited as the source of this information.

Ten captives were reportedly included on the list, according to the news website Axios. The office of the Prime Minister did not immediately provide any remarks on the matter.

OCCURRING OUTSIDE OF THE PRISON

According to the Israel Jail Service, 33 Palestinian inmates were released on Monday from Israel’s Ofer jail in the occupied West Bank and a detention center in Jerusalem. This brings the total number of Palestinians that the Israel Prison Service has released since Friday to 150.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israeli troops engaged in violent confrontations with a number of the dozens of Palestinians who had gathered outside Ofer prison to await the release of Palestinian prisoners.

During the demonstration, some individuals brandished the flags of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which is another Palestinian militant group.

Even though the ministry said that a Palestinian had been murdered in the region, it was not apparent whether or not he had been involved in the fighting. Arab media reported that he had died as a result of gunfire. After the occurrence, Israel did not immediately provide a statement.

In retaliation for the strike that took place on October 7, Israel has launched an offensive in the northern region and has also targeted the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian administration in Gaza, which Hamas heads, has said that more than 15,000 Palestinians have been murdered and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

While Israel has liberated some Palestinians, Hamas has released several hostages each day since the truce began on Friday. Israel has also released some Palestinians it keeps. Fifty-one Israelis and eighteen foreigners were among the 69 hostages that Hamas released.

Ido Dan, a cousin of Israelis Sahar Calderon, 16, and Erez Calderon, 12, expressed his happiness at their release on Monday. However, he also expressed concern for their father, Ofer, who is still imprisoned.

“It is difficult to go from a state of endless anxiety about their fate to a state of relief and joy,” says Dan. “This is an exciting and heart-filling moment, but … it is the beginning of a difficult rehabilitation process for Sahar and Erez, who are still young and have been through an unbearable experience.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to travel to Israel, the West Bank, and the United Arab Emirates this week, according to the United States Department of State. During his trip, he will discuss maintaining aid flows to Gaza and freeing all hostages, as well as the principles that the United States holds for the future of Gaza and the necessity of an independent Palestinian state.

Many relief vehicles were allowed to enter Gaza during the initial cease-fire deal. The civilian population in Gaza is experiencing food, gasoline, drinking water, and medicine shortages. According to the United Nations, approximately 1.8 million people belong to the territory’s population of 2.3 million internally displaced.

Despite the extension being described as “a glimpse of hope and humanity,” the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, stated that two additional days were insufficient to satisfy Gaza’s relief requirements.