GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters): A truce between Israel and Hamas was set to expire at 0500 GMT on Thursday as time ran down on efforts to prolong a six-day pause in fighting and an exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners.
The truce, extended from its initial four days, brought the first respite in the bombardment of Gaza with much of the coastal territory of 2.3 million having been reduced to wasteland in response to a deadly rampage by Hamas militants into southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Doron Spielman, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said in a briefing on social media that no agreement had been reached regarding the next hostages to be released.
“And therefore, if this framework does expire, the (Israeli military) … are fully positioned and ready to simply relaunch our operations, our military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip,” he said.
Hamas, which freed 16 hostages in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners on Wednesday, said Israel had refused to receive a further seven women and children and the bodies of three other hostages in exchange for extending the truce.
“This is despite confirming through mediators that this group is all the (Hamas) movement has in terms of detainees in the agreed-upon category,” Hamas said in a statement.
Hamas had earlier said a family of three Israeli hostages including the youngest hostage, 10-month-old Kfir Bibas, had been killed during Israel’s bombardment of the enclave.
Citing Israeli officials, Israeli media reported the military would resume attacks on Gaza at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) if the government did not receive a list of hostages to be released that met its criteria by that time.
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