Tel Aviv, 30 November 2023 (dpa/MIA) — Israel announced that it has received a list of the names of further hostages who could be released on Thursday, after a last-minute deal was clinched to extend a six-day ceasefire in Gaza.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday morning that a list of women and children had been handed over by Hamas in accordance with the agreement and that the ceasefire would therefore continue.

The Israeli war cabinet had unanimously decided the previous evening that fighting would resume if a list was not submitted by 7 am (0500 GMT) on Thursday as agreed. The list was received before the deadline, Netanyahu's office said.

The ceasefire had been in place since last Friday morning and extended for a first time on Monday. According to the original agreement, the pause could be extended to a maximum of 10 days as long as hostages continued to be released daily.