The latest developments around the Gaza humanitarian pause point to a potential extension. An Arab newspaper, Al Arabi Al Jadid, reported that the Israeli government and Hamas have reached a preliminary agreement to extend the ceasefire for two additional days. The report cites unnamed Egyptian officials as the sources of this information.
The document describing the talks indicates that representatives from Cairo and Washington were directly involved in the negotiations. In addition, Qatari diplomats are described as playing a mediating role to help broker the agreement.
A preliminary accord to prolong the pause for two more days is described by the publication, with the same conditions expected to apply. The article notes that the pause would continue alongside the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Sources suggest that Hamas has signaled to Israeli authorities an openness to maintaining contacts with other Palestinian groups in the region. This broader outreach is said to involve groups that hold a number of women and children among their captives.
On November 29, CNN reported remarks from Gazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, who stated that the movement was prepared to reach a new agreement with Israel and extend the humanitarian pause. Hamad added that the Palestinian side is deploying every available option to prevent an Israeli military offensive.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later announced that hostilities in the Gaza Strip would continue until all hostages are released, a stance framed as ensuring security and deterrence in the region. The statement reflects the enduring complexity of negotiations and the fragile nature of any tentative deal, as observed by observers and regional analysts.