US President Joe Biden has said he hoped the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas can go on as long as hostages are being released, after the group freed 17 more people, including a four-year-old Israeli-American girl.

Hamas said it wanted to extend the pause in fighting, which has entered its fourth day and final agreed day today, if serious efforts were made to increase the number of Palestinian detainees released by Israel, Reuters reports.

Qatar, Egypt and the United States are pressing for the truce to be extended but it is not clear whether that will happen.

Opinion

Editorial

Missing justice
Updated 15 Jan, 2025

Missing justice

SC must at least ensure missing persons cases are heard with the urgency they deserve.
Racist talk
15 Jan, 2025

Racist talk

WHEN racist tropes are amplified by the expansive reach of social media, the affected communities face real-world...
Faceless customs
15 Jan, 2025

Faceless customs

THE launch of the faceless customs assessment system as part of the government’s Tax Transformation Plan is a...
Left behind
Updated 14 Jan, 2025

Left behind

Pakistan’s education statistics threaten to leave us behind in the global knowledge economy.
Mining tragedies
14 Jan, 2025

Mining tragedies

TWO recent deadly mining tragedies in Balochistan have once again exposed the hazardous nature of work in this...
Winter sports
14 Jan, 2025

Winter sports

FOR a country with huge winter sports potential, events in Pakistan are few and far between. Therefore, the start of...