Hamas frees more hostages as Gaza truce expiry looms

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES — More hostages were freed from Gaza on Wednesday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, as mediators raced to broker another extension to the truce between Israel and Hamas hours before it was due to expire.

Underscoring the urgency, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel for talks on aid for Gaza and the truce, which is scheduled to end early Thursday after a six-day halt in fighting.

But in a sign of the challenges facing negotiators, a Hamas source said the Palestinian militant group was not satisfied with Israel's proposals for another extension.

"What is being proposed in the discussions to extend the truce is not the best," the source told AFP, adding that the talks were focused on extending the pause by "two days or more".

Israel's war cabinet was meeting late Wednesday over terms to extend the truce, media reports said.

As discussions continued, 10 Israeli hostages arrived back in Israel, among them five women, three children and two 18-year-old men, the prime minister's office said.

Shortly after their arrival was confirmed, Israel's prison service said 30 Palestinian prisoners had been released, including well-known activist Ahed Tamimi.

Six groups of hostages have now been released under the truce agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

Another four Thai hostages were also freed and arrived in Egypt Wednesday, along with two women, holding dual Russian and Israeli citizenship, outside the terms of the deal.

The release of the two women was described by Hamas as in recognition of the "efforts" of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The truce has brought a temporary halt to fighting that began on October 7 when Hamas militants poured over the border into Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping about 240, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel's subsequent air and ground campaign in Gaza has killed nearly 15,000 people, also mostly civilians, according to Hamas officials, and reduced large parts of the north of the territory to rubble.

As efforts intensified to extend the pause in fighting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded a "true humanitarian ceasefire".

Gaza