In a last-minute deal, Israel and Hamas agreed Thursday to extend their truce into a seventh day amid talks to free more Hamas-held hostages.
The cease-fire had been set to expire at 7am local time on Thursday (midnight Eastern Time).
The deal came after another 10 Israelis being held hostage were freed Wednesday night, including one Israel-American dual citizen, while four Thai nationals and two Russian-Israeli women were released in side deals separate from the truce agreement.
Israel also released 30 Palestinian prisoners on Thursday.
Ongoing negotiations have reportedly been growing tougher as most of the women and children held hostage by Hamas have been freed. The terrorist organization is expected to make increased demands in exchange for freeing civilian men and soldiers.
Also as part of the truce agreement, Israel has allowed hundreds of humanitarian aid trucks have entered Gaza. According to news outlet Al-Jazeera, at least 750 trucks have cross the Rafah border from Egypt into Gaza since Friday, or about 150 per day.
However, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that the level of aid entering Gaza “remains completely inadequate to meet the huge needs of more than 2 million people.”
PHOTO: Humanitarian aid trucks crossing Rafah border from Egypt into Gaza, Tuesday
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