An Israel-Hamas truce in the Gaza Strip stretched into a fifth day on Tuesday as the two sides completed the release of Israeli hostages and detained Palestinians and looked poised to free more as the pause in fighting was extended by two days, Reuters reported.
Hamas took about 240 hostages during an Oct. 7 incursion into southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures, prompting Israel to retaliate by bombing the coastal enclave and launching a ground offensive in its north.
Israel said 11 Israelis had returned to the country from the Gaza Strip on Monday, bringing to 69 the total of Israeli and foreign hostages the Palestinian group has freed since Friday under the truce.
The White House and Qatari negotiators said on Monday the original four day pause in fighting, due to expire at 0500 GMT on Tuesday, had been extended for two more days.
Israel has not commented on any agreement to extend the truce but, in what may be an implicit confirmation, the Israeli prime minister's office said the government approved the addition of 50 female prisoners to its list of Palestinians for potential release if additional Israeli hostages are freed.
Among hostages Hamas still holds are fathers and husbands of those it has freed in recent days.
Israel previously said it would extend the truce by one day for every 10 more hostages released, providing some respite from the war.
Israel's government has received a list of hostages who are expected to be released on Tuesday, Israel's Army Radio reported, citing the Israeli prime minister's office.
The Axios news website reported the list contained 10 hostages. There was no immediate comment from the prime minister's office.
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