It’s Up to Hamas to Decide on Truce Extension: Amirabdollahian

A decision about the extension of the ceasefire in Gaza following weeks of brutal Israeli strikes will be within the purview of the Hamas resistance group, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said.

News ID: 84444

Date: 03 December 2023 - 16:19

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday, Amirabdollahian said efforts are in progress at the continuation of the ceasefire in Gaza.
More than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7. A 4-day ceasefire in Gaza came into effect last week, was extended for another two days, and has entered its last day on Wednesday.
Palestinians in Gaza have expressed hope that the truce will be extended further as they seek out much-needed aid, and assess the destruction from Israeli bombardments.
“Naturally it is Hamas that should decide how to act for the extension of the ceasefire,” the Iranian foreign minister said.
Amirabdollahian said an initiative is currently on the table for the exchange of prisoners between Hamas and the Israeli regime and the achievement of a lasting truce.
Two Israeli gunboat shooting incidents have been reported off Gaza’s coast near Khan Younis and Deir el-Balah.
Thirty Palestinian women and children have been released from Israeli prisons after 10 Israelis and two foreign nationals were freed from Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Zionist regime’s army surrounded hospitals and blocked the work of medical teams during a major raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.