Hamas Releases 16 Hostages in Exchange for Palestinian Prisoners

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[Jerusalem] Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the temporary truce in Gaza for another day, minutes before it was due to expire, according to the Qatari mediator. The two sides were negotiating the extension up to the last minute, with disagreements over the number of hostages to be freed by Hamas in exchange for the extension. The announcement of the extension came just as the truce was due to expire at 7am local time (0500 GMT). The Israeli foreign ministry said the truce was being extended on the same terms as in the past, under which Hamas has released 10 Israeli hostages per day in exchange for the release of 30 Palestinian prisoners. The latest extension follows a last-minute standoff earlier today, with Hamas saying Israel had rejected a proposed list that included seven living captives and the remains of three who the group said were killed in previous Israeli airstrikes. Israel later said Hamas submitted an improved list, paving the way for the extension. Negotiators have been working into the night in an effort to hammer out details for a further extension of the truce. The expectation had been to extend the pause in fighting for at least another day or two, with the focus on releasing women and children.

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