MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said during a visit to Rafah border crossing in Egypt that the current truce in Gaza is not enough and that a permanent cease-fire was required, Western media reported.
War between Israeli forces and Hamas halted on Friday for the first time in last seven weeks in a temporary ceasefire ahead of the planned release of Israeli captives taken by Hamas in exchange for jailed Palestinians.
Spain’s Prime Minister: Current Truce in Gaza not Enough, We Need a Permanent Truce
International mediators, including Qatar, the United States, and Egypt, hope that the momentum generated by the prisoner exchange and ceasefire will contribute to a broader effort to bring an end to the violence that has plagued the area for the past seven weeks.
READ ALSO: Hamas Releases 10 Thai Nationals, one Filipino Under Separate Agreement: Qatar
Meanwhile, Hamas has freed the first batch of captives under a cease-fire agreement that began Friday, including thirteen Israelis, who have been taken in Gaza, according to officials and media reports.
The first day of a four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas saw the release of 24 hostages, including 10 Thai citizens, one Filipino citizen and 13 Israeli nationals, including women and children, according to the Egyptian government. The hostages were part of a prisoner exchange, marking a positive development as trucks carrying aid, including fuel, entered the besieged Gaza Strip.
Hamas has freed a group of 10 Thai citizens and one citizen from the Philippines who were being held in the Gaza Strip, as part of a separate deal to the one between the Palestinian group and Israel that saw Israeli captives and Palestinian detainees being freed. Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman of Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday that the Thai citizens and Filipino were among a total of 24 hostages who were freed.
