Israel and Hamas agreed Monday to extend the current cease-fire in Gaza by two days, according to mediator Qatar, with more hostages set to be released by the Palestinian militant group.
The agreement came as the deadline for the four-day cease-fire approached and the Israeli military said an additional 11 hostages had been released by Hamas.
In return, Israel released 33 Palestinian women and children, bringing the total number of freed detainees to 150.
Gaza authorities said Monday more than 15,000 people in the territory had been killed in the conflict that began on Oct. 7 with a cross-border attack by Hamas, triggering an air and ground assault by Israel in response.
Around 240 hostages were taken to Gaza, according to media reports.
The authorities said around 7,000 people were missing, with many buried under rubble. The Israeli government has said about 1,200 were killed in the attack by Hamas.
The 11 people freed by Hamas on Monday, including French nationals, entered Israel after they were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza. The total number of individuals freed by Hamas reached 69.
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