The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas extended on Monday. The two sides agreed to a six-week ceasefire as the first step towards ending the war that began in October 2023.
So far, Hamas has released three of the 99 hostages it was holding in Gaza, and the first phase of the deal includes the release of 30 more. Israel has also released 90 Palestinian prisoners, all of whom are women and teenagers, Hamas said.
The deal also includes the release of hundreds more prisoners by Israel. At the same time, the United Nations is increasing the delivery of desperately needed food to the Gaza Strip. The UN has also planned to deliver 150 truckloads of food aid daily to Palestinian civilians suffering from the fighting.
The UN estimates that 1.8 million people in Gaza are in need of emergency assistance in makeshift camps, and a report released last year estimated that the reconstruction of damaged buildings would not be completed until 2040.
