Israeli forces prepare to expand their operations in the Gaza Strip (French)

Qatari and Egyptian negotiators continue their contacts for a new extension of the two-day humanitarian truce in Gaza, and while Israeli officials have spoken of preparing for a battle in the southern Strip, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), has asked its fighters to be highly prepared in anticipation of renewed battles.

On Thursday morning, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Hamas and Israel had reached an extension of the temporary humanitarian truce for an additional day.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry pointed to the continued intensification of efforts aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

According to the Palestinian Commission for Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Affairs, 30 prisoners are scheduled to be released Thursday evening as part of the seventh batch of the exchange deal, in exchange for the release of 10 Israeli detainees, women and children.

In the same context, a statement issued by the State Information Service in Egypt on Thursday said that Egyptian and Qatari negotiators are pushing for a new extension of the truce in Gaza for two days, with the release of more detainees and an increase in the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The head of the State Information Service, Diaa Rashwan, said that Egypt has done its best to ensure the continued flow of humanitarian aid to the north and south of the Gaza Strip.

For his part, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that the temporary humanitarian truce in Gaza between Hamas and Israel is bearing fruit, in light of the release of detainees and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip.

Blinken expressed his hope that the truce would continue, and his happiness for the release of Americans among the detainees released by Hamas, during his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog during his visit to Tel Aviv.

Blinken reiterated the United States' strong support for what he called Israel's "right to defend itself" and its quest to ensure that what happened on October 7 is not repeated, referring to the Al-Aqsa Flood operation launched by the Palestinian resistance against the occupation in response to its crimes against Palestinian civilians.

Battle of the South

In a related context, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that he pledged to the US Secretary of State to eliminate Hamas, and Netanyahu's office announced the convening of the Israeli War Council in Blinken today.

Netanyahu said in a televised statement after meeting Blinken in occupied Jerusalem: "I have sworn to continue this war until we achieve the three goals: the release of all our abductees, the complete elimination of Hamas, and ensuring that we do not face such a threat from Gaza again."

AFP reported that Blinken told Netanyahu to protect civilians in the southern Gaza Strip if fighting resumed.

Since 7 October, the Israeli military has been waging a devastating war in Gaza that has left tens of thousands dead and wounded, mostly children and women, as well as massive destruction of infrastructure and an "unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe."

In turn, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Thursday for an immediate return and with tremendous force to the war on the Gaza Strip, in order to completely destroy Hamas, he said.

The leader of the far-right Jewish Power party said in a statement in response to Hamas' claim of responsibility for the shooting attack in occupied Jerusalem on Thursday morning, which killed 3 Israelis and wounded 13 others, including 3 seriously.

At the same time, the spokesman for the Israeli occupation army, Daniel Hagari, renewed on Wednesday evening his readiness to resume the war on the Gaza Strip, stressing that the Chief of Staff approved the plan for the military operation in southern Gaza.

US President Joe Biden also called on Israel to adopt a more cautious approach if it expands its offensive on the southern Gaza Strip, to avoid the displacement of thousands of civilians as happened in northern Gaza.

Ready to fight

On the other hand, the al-Qassam Brigades asked its fighters in a statement to be highly prepared in anticipation of renewed battles in the Gaza Strip.

The brigades said in a statement that they "ask their active forces to remain on high combat readiness in the last hours, from the calm in anticipation of renewed fighting in the event of non-renewal and to remain on that unless an official statement is issued confirming the extension of the truce."

With Qatari-Egyptian-American mediation, a 24-day humanitarian truce began on November 4, which was extended for two days and then an additional day, including a ceasefire, prisoner exchange and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, where about 2.3 million Palestinians affected by the war live.

Since Friday, over the course of 6 days, Israel has received 102 female and child detainees, including 78 Israelis, in exchange for the release of 234 Palestinian women and children prisoners also in Israeli prisons under the exchange deal.

Source : Al Jazeera + Agencies