An agreement has been reached to extend the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas by two days, according to a statement released on Sunday by Qatar.
The announcement comes just days before the expiration of the two-week-long truce on Monday, which had brought relative peace to the region after weeks of intense Israeli bombardment.
Qatar, which has recently assumed a role in regional diplomacy, said that the two days of additional time would give the Israeli and Palestinian sides more time to reach an agreement on a longer-term understanding.
The extension of the truce was welcomed by the UN envoy to the region, Nickolay Mladenov.
“I welcome the Doha statement by the State of Qatar, extending the ceasefire understanding between Israel and the Palestinians for two more days while talks continue in Cairo,” Mladenov said in a statement.
“I thank both sides for their responsible stance in the negotiations in Cairo. It is vital that the parties reach an agreement that would lead to a durable ceasefire and address the underlying issues that led to the current conflict,” he added.
Since the start of the Gaza conflict on July 8, more than 1,800 Palestinians have been killed and over 9,000 injured. On the Israeli side, 64 soldiers and four civilians have been killed.
The ongoing fighting has been particularly deadly for Gaza’s civilians, with more than three-quarters of those killed believed to be non-combatants, including hundreds of children.
The conflict in Gaza has taken a heavy toll on both the physical and mental health of its population, with complete destruction in heavily populated urban areas and a serious lack of medical supplies.
It is hoped that the two-day extension will enable both sides to find a way to resolve the conflict and ensure that civilians on both sides can finally breathe a sigh of relief.