The temporary truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has been extended by two days, Qatar and Hamas have said.
A White House official has also told NBC News – the US partner of Sky News – that an agreement has been reached to extend the ceasefire.
The temporary truce was initially due to end at 5am UK time on Tuesday 28 November.
However, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry of Qatar– which has been involved in mediating the temporary truce – said it would last an “additional two days”.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, spokesperson Dr Majed al Ansari wrote: “The State of Qatar announces, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip.”
Hamashas also confirmed the truce, while Israel has yet to comment.
“The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announces that it has been agreed with the brothers in Qatar and Egypt to extend the temporary humanitarian truce for an additional two days under the same conditions as the previous truce,” a Hamas statement read.
Diplomatic developments are positive – but continuation of fighting still looks most likely
The extension of the truce between Israel and Hamas, by another two days, is further proof that mediation channels through Egypt and Qatar, with support from the US, are working.
The process of release, over the past four days, has been proven. Although neither side trusts the other, that will have built a degree of confidence.
Both sides have their own reasons to agree an extension: Israel will get more of its hostages back home and Hamas has more time to regroup after the seven weeks of intense bombardment and military ground operations.
Hamas is also being credited in the West Bank for securing the release of Palestinian prisoners. That political windfall is not to be under-estimated.
Nevertheless, there will come a point when all the women, children and elderly have been released and then Hamas is unlikely to free young Israeli men, or IDF soldiers, without demanding a much larger price from Israel.
We understand that Israel is not ready to entertain a prolonged ceasefire, although such is the intensity of negotiations behind-the-scenes, that could yet change.
Even if Israel were to get all the hostages back, as unlikely as that might currently seem, they still wouldn’t have achieved their objective of eliminating Hamas’s leadership.
And so, despite the positive developments, a continuation of the fighting still looks like the most likely eventuality – it would take considerable diplomatic efforts to persuade Israel to change course.
Hamas had been pushing for an extension to the temporary ceasefire if “serious efforts” were made to increase the number of Palestinian prisoners released by Israel.
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Under the terms of the current deal, Hamas has agreed to release a total of 50 hostages, while Israelwill release 150 Palestinian detainees over four days.
Israel previously said the deal allows for the truce to be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed.
Earlier, Diaa Rashwan, the head of the State Information Service of Egypt, which has also been involved in mediation, said an extension deal would include the release of 20 Israeli hostages and 60 Palestinian prisoners.
Image: Palestinians celebrate the release of Palestinian detainees as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal
He added that 11 Israeli hostages are expected to be released today, but negotiations are ongoing for the freedom of 33 Palestinian detainees.
So far, 117 Palestinian prisoners have been freed by Israel, while 40 Israeli hostages have been released in exchange.
As part of a separate deal, 17 Thai and one Filipino national have been released by Hamas.
The temporary truce has also allowed for humanitarian aid to enter into Gaza.
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Thai hostages arrive at Shamir Medical Centre
A spokesman for the head of the UN said he hoped to see the temporary truce turn into a full humanitarian ceasefire.
“The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is getting worse by the day,” Stephane Dujarric said on behalf of UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.
“The dialogue that led to the agreement must continue, resulting in a full humanitarian ceasefire, for the benefit of the people of Gaza, Israel and the wider region.”
Donald Trump has criticised Vladimir Putin and suggested a shift in his stance towards the Russian president after a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy before the Pope’s funeral.
The Ukrainian president said the one-on-one talks could prove to be “historic” after pictures showed him sitting opposite Mr Trump, around two feet apart, in the large marble hall inside St Peter’s Basilica.
The US president said he doubted his Russian counterpart’s willingness to end the war after leaving Rome after the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, he said “there was no reason” for the Russian president “to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days”.
Image: The two leaders held talks before attending the Pope’s funeral
He added: “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!”
The meeting between the US and Ukrainian leaders was their first face-to-face encounter since a very public row in the Oval Office in February.
Mr Zelenskyy said he had a good meeting with Mr Trump in which they talked about the defence of the Ukrainian people, a full and unconditional ceasefire, and a durable and lasting peace that would prevent the war restarting.
Other images released by the Ukrainian president’s office show Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron were present for part of the talks, which were described as “positive” by the French presidency.
Mr Zelenskyy‘s spokesman said the meeting lasted for around 15 minutes and he and Mr Trump had agreed to hold further discussions later on Saturday.
Image: The world leaders shared a moment before the service
Image: Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in the Basilica
But the US president left Rome for Washington on Air Force One soon after the funeral without any other talks having taken place.
The Ukrainian president’s office said there was no second meeting in Rome because of the tight schedule of both leaders, although he had separate discussions with Mr Starmer and Mr Macron.
The French president said in a post on X “Ukraine is ready for an unconditional ceasefire” and that a so-called coalition of the willing, led by the UK and France, would continue working to achieve a lasting peace.
There was applause from some of the other world leaders in attendance at the Vatican when Mr Zelenskyy walked out of St Peter’s Basilica after stopping in front of the pontiff’s coffin to pay his respects.
Image: Donald Trump and the Ukrainian president met for the first time since their Oval Office row. Pic: Reuters
Sir Tony Brenton, the former British ambassador to Russia, said the event presents diplomatic opportunities, including the “biggest possible meeting” between Mr Trump and the Ukrainian leader.
He told Sky News it could mark “an important step” in starting the peace process between Russia and Ukraine.
Professor Father Francesco Giordano told Sky News the meeting is being called “Pope Francis’s miracle” by members of the clergy, adding: “There’s so many things that happened today – it was just overwhelming.”
The bilateral meeting comes after Mr Trump’s peace negotiator Steve Witkoff held talks with Mr Putin at the Kremlin.
They discussed “the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine”, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.
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On an extraordinary day, remarkable pictures on the margins that capture what may be a turning point for the world.
In a corner of St Peter’s Basilica before the funeral of Pope Francis, the leaders of America and Ukraine sit facing each other in two solitary chairs.
They look like confessor and sinner except we cannot tell which one is which.
In another, the Ukrainian president seems to be remonstrating with the US president. This is their first encounter since their infamous bust-up in the Oval Office.
Image: The two leaders held talks before attending the Pope’s funeral
Other pictures show the moment their French and British counterparts introduced the two men. There is a palpable sense of nervousness in the way the leaders engage.
We do not know what the two presidents said in their brief meeting.
But in the mind of the Ukrainian leader will be the knowledge President Trump has this week said America will reward Russia for its unprovoked brutal invasion of his country, under any peace deal.
Mr Trump has presented Ukraine and Russia with a proposal and ultimatum so one-sided it could have been written in the Kremlin.
Kyiv must surrender the land Russia has taken by force, Crimea forever, the rest at least for now. And it must submit to an act of extortion, a proposed deal that would hand over half its mineral wealth effectively to America.
Image: The world leaders shared a moment before the service
Afterwards, Zelenskyy said it had been a good meeting that could turn out to be historic “if we reach results together”.
They had talked, he said, about the defence of Ukraine, a full and unconditional ceasefire and a durable and lasting peace that will prevent a war restarting.
The Trump peace proposal includes only unspecified security guarantees for Ukraine from countries that do not include the US. It rules out any membership of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s allies are watching closely to see if Mr Trump will apply any pressure on Vladimir Putin, let alone punish him for recent bloody attacks on Ukraine.
Or will he simply walk away if the proposal fails, blaming Ukrainian intransigence, however outrageously, before moving onto a rapprochement with Moscow.
If he does, America’s role as guarantor of international security will be seen effectively as over.
This could be the week we see the world order as we have known it since the end of the Second World War buried, as well as a pope.