The Zionist regime announced the extension of the ceasefire on Thursday morning. Hamas also confirmed the truce extension.
The current pause was set to expire at 7 am local time (05:00 GMT).
The Zionist regime’s military leaders had ratcheted up war rhetoric on Wednesday ahead of the expiration of the truce agreement with Hamas, which told its military wing to be ready for combat in case the truce had not been extended.
On the sixth day of the truce, 16 more hostages were released from Gaza, comprising 10 Israelis, four Thai nationals, and two Israeli-Russians. They included an Israeli-American dual citizen. Thirty Palestinians have also been freed from Israeli jails, officials said, CNN reported.
Qatar said that 10 of the released captives were part of the existing truce deal, while four Thai citizens and two Russian-Israelis were freed separate from that deal.
More than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli strikes in Gaza since October 7.
MNA/TSN
