Mediator Qatar announced on Monday that an agreement has been reached to extend the truce between Israeli and Hamas forces in Gaza by two days. The extension is part of ongoing negotiations facilitated by Qatar and Egypt. Hamas seeks a four-day extension, while Israel prefers day-by-day extensions tied to the release of hostages.
A Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said in a post on social media platform X, “An agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip.”
Hamas announced a two-day extension to the truce with Qatar and Egypt, who are facilitating negotiations. Israel has not immediately commented. Egyptian, Qatari, and US negotiators are working on extending the four-day truce, with Hamas seeking a four-day extension and Israel preferring day-by-day extensions tied to the release of hostages.
Israel’s condition involves an extra day of truce for every additional 10 hostages freed, releasing three times the number of Palestinians each time, with a cap of five additional days. Both sides have shown a positive attitude, but a final decision hasn’t been reached.
On Sunday, Hamas released 17 people, and Israel freed 39 teenage Palestinian prisoners, bringing the total to 117 Palestinians released under the truce. The current deal requires Hamas to release a total of 50 Israeli women and children, leaving 11 to be freed on Monday, with no limit on the release of foreigners.
Supreme Court Orders Bahria Town To Make Fresh Payment Of Rs460 Billion For Land In Karachi
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has declared that Bahria Town must make a fresh payment, amounting to Rs460 billion, for the land it occupies in Karachi’s Malir district. The court ruled that Bahria Town defaulted on installments intended for the purchase of the 16,896-acre land.
The development comes after a three-member bench, including Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Aminuddin Khan, and Justice Athar Minallah, determined that Rs65 billion, including funds remitted from the UK and deposited locally, be transferred to the Central and Sindh governments.
