The Renewed Israeli-Hamas Truce: A Fragile Extension with Uncertain Future
Israel and Hamas narrowly extend ceasefire, but tensions remain as Hamas delays providing a crucial list of 10 women and children hostages, a condition set by Israel The fragile truce hangs in the balance, highlighting the delicate nature of the situation in the region
The negotiation to prolong the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas into Thursday came down to the last moment as Hamas refused for hours to provide a list of captives that included 10 women and children - a requirement set by Israel. After intense and prolonged discussions, the Israeli government finally agreed to a compromise for Hamas to release eight new Israeli captives on Thursday. Additionally, the two Israeli-Russian hostages who were released on Wednesday were counted as part of Thursday's release. Multiple sources familiar with the talks informed CNN of this development.
After Israel rejected a previous iteration of Hamas' list that included seven women and children, as well as the bodies of three individuals claimed to have been killed by Israeli bombardment, Hamas insisted that they could not locate more women and children. However, when they offered a new list including seven women and children and three elderly individuals, the Israelis still found it unacceptable, according to one source. It wasn't until very close to the expiration of the truce that Hamas finally presented a list of hostages that Israel was willing to accept. This list included eight new hostages, in addition to the two Israeli-Russians who had been released on Wednesday, according to sources. The negotiations have been fluid, leaving open the possibility that the number of hostages released on Thursday could change.
The truce has entered a day-to-day extension phase, with Hamas needing to provide a new list of 10 hostages to secure another 24-hour pause in fighting. The challenges of locating enough hostages have caused anxiety among negotiators, who anticipate that extending the truce into an eighth day will be difficult.
The latest negotiations on Wednesday highlight the fragile nature of the current truce in the Israel-Hamas war, with all parties actively preparing for what comes after the pause. There are now significant doubts about whether the truce can last another day, or if Israel will resume the fighting.
Negotiators had initially believed that Hamas would be unable to offer more women and children to extend the truce beyond an eighth day. It is understood that if Hamas is unable to release any more women and children, Israel will likely resume its military campaign, possibly as early as this weekend.
Israel has consistently argued that military pressure is effective in securing the release of hostages, and it is expected that Hamas will seek improved terms for the release of civilian men, as well as Israeli soldiers of both genders. The previous agreement only covered the release of women and children.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Wednesday that there has been speculation about whether Israel will resume combat after securing the release of their hostages. He answered definitively, "Yes." The Biden administration has advised Israel to proceed with greater care and precision as military operations shift to southern Gaza, where most Gazans have been displaced.
During their meeting in Jerusalem on Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Netanyahu to prioritize the protection of civilians in southern Gaza before IDF military operations commence. It is unclear how much this urging will be taken into account.
An Israeli official stated that Israel and the US administration are engaged in extensive discussions, covering topics such as applying pressure on Hamas and providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza. Israel is closely considering the perspective of the U.S. in these matters. This report includes contributions from CNN's Jennifer Hansler.
