Fragile truce extended for two days as more hostages set free

THE truce between Israel and Hamas has been extended by two days - as a fourth tranche of hostages returned in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

- Mark Reynolds

A further 11 captives- nine women and two children - were released from Gaza into the hands of the Red Cross before being transferred to Egypt and then on to the Israeli military. They were last night in Israeli territory.

It means 51 hostages have been released during the four-day halt in fighting. There have also been 33 Palestinian prisoners set free as part of the agreement with their number released by Israel now totalling 150.

International go-betweens from Qatar and Egypt had urgently been working with both sides before last night's midnight deadline.

They then announced a deal had been reached to ensure the ceasefire was extended - but only by two days.

A spokesman for the Qatari government said last night: "An agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip."

Pause

The further pause will allow the release of more of the nearly 200 Israeli hostages still being held in a labyrinth of tunnels beneath Gaza. Hamas said the truce would continue for 48 hours "under the same conditions".

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that military operations in Gaza would resume with "full force" when the truce ended.

Israel said each further day of pause in the fighting in Gaza was predicated on the release of a further 10 captives.