[The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been extended for 24 hours amid last-minute mediation efforts. The truce, which was due to end on Thursday, will allow further hostage and prisoner releases and the possibility of more a durable pause in hostilities. There were frantic diplomatic efforts through the night to prolong the six-day halt to fighting in Gaza. The ceasefire has been extended, but only for 24 hours, though this has yet to be explicitly confirmed by all parties. The Israeli military's confirmation came just minutes before the ceasefire was due to expire. Just over an hour later, a statement from the office of the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war cabinet had come close to ending the truce after unanimously deciding that if an acceptable list of further prisoners to be released was not delivered by 0700 this morning Thursday, fighting would resume at once. A list of women and children in accordance with the terms of the outline of the ceasefire agreement last week was delivered to Israel a short time ago, therefore the pause will continue, it said. Israeli soldiers stand on the turret of a tank deployed on the southern border with the Gaza Strip. Photograph Menahem Kahana AFP Getty Images. Hamas, which freed 16 hostages in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners on Wednesday night, also confirmed the truce would be extended into a seventh day as did Qatar, which has been acting as a mediator. The last-minute negotiations underlined the extreme fragility of the current ceasefire agreement as diplomats rush to find a more durable deal that will prevent a return to war. Both sides have stressed they have the will and capabilities to continue the conflict.]