Hamas to release 20 Israeli hostages, Qatar says

Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend a temporary truce for an additional two days on the pause’s fourth and last day, Hamas and Qatari mediators announced.

Hamas will free 20 more women and children during the pause in fighting, the Pentagon’s top spokesman told reporters today. Today, Hamas released 11 hostages. In exchange, Israel released 33 Palestinian prisoners, NBC News reports.

An extension could mean more hostages are released from Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a halt in fighting. Israel has said it would extend the cease-fire by a day for every 10 additional hostages who are released.

Israel also said it reached an agreement with tech billionaire Elon Musk to bring his SpaceX company’s Starlink communications to the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported. Musk has proposed using Starlink to support communication links in the blackout-hit Gaza enclave with “internationally recognized aid organizations.”

As 11 hostages were freed by Hamas militants tonight and 33 were released by Israel earlier, more of these exchanges were expected under a two-day cease-fire extension scheduled through Thursday morning.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Hamas has committed to releasing 20 women and children through the end of the extension.

That figure meets the expectation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the release of 10 hostages per day would be needed to maintain the cease-fire between Israeli forces and Hamas militants.

The releases have been happening at a rate of about three prisoners held by Israel for every hostage returned. The United States would like the cease-fire, described by Kirby as a humanitarian pause, to remain as long as possible.