Calls for Extending Truce in Hamas-Israel War; the Former Accepts, the Latter Dismisses

As the four-day truce deal between Hamas and Israel expires this Tuesday, several countries in the world are now calling for ceasefire extension.

This coming Tuesday, the four-day ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas will expire, and it is expected that Israel’s ground and air attacks resume to make life even harder for the Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank.

The deal which was implemented Friday created a space for the release of 50 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli prisons. It was also agreed according to the deal that if at least 10 Israeli captives are released each extra day, the deal could extend accordingly.

And now, as the four-day truce is coming to an end this Tuesday, many countries as well as international bodies are calling for its extension. First of all, it was the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell who urged for an extension of the ceasefire deal.

Speaking at the start of a meeting of the intergovernmental organization Union for the Mediterranean in Barcelona, Borrell brought up the issue and said that “the pause should be extended to make it sustainable and long-lasting while working for a political solution.”

He also noted that “nothing can justify the indiscriminate brutality Hamas unleashed against civilians on October 7. But one horror cannot justify another horror.”

The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees Juliette Touma also addressed the matter and said that thanks to the truce deal between Israel and Hamas, there has been an increase in the number of trucks and assistance coming into Gaza, including to the north for the first time since the war began.

“We do hope the truce is extended. We have been calling for this truce to transform into a longer-term humanitarian ceasefire,” Touma also said this Sunday. The United States, Qatar, and Iran have also called for the extension of the deal.

“That’s my goal, that’s our goal, to keep this pause going beyond tomorrow so that we can continue to see more hostages come out and surge more humanitarian relief into those in need in Gaza,” US President Joe Biden said Sunday.

Hamas willing to extend truce, Israel willing to resume war

Despite the international call for the extension of the truce deal, it seems the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is too stubborn to get off the high horse and agree to the international demand.

Wearing green military fatigues and surrounded by soldiers in Gaza, Netanyahu said that “we continue until the end — until victory.”

This is the first time an Israeli official puts foot in Gaza since 2005. Promising to free all the hostages and “eliminate Hamas,” Netanyahu also said that “nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the power, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all the war’s goals.”

To make matters even more complicated, Netanyahu’s office proposed last week a war budget of 30 billion shekels ($8 billion) for 90 days, signaling Israel’s determination and desire to continue the war.

On the other side, however, Hamas has signaled that is willing to the idea of extending the truce. “The resistance believes it is possible to ensure the release of 20 to 40 Israeli prisoners and extend the deal 2 to 4 more days,” said a source close to the Hamas movement this Sunday.