As Israel's military begins to concentrate its siege in southern Gaza, a United Nations agency warns that the people there could soon begin dying from diseases as well as Israel's bombardment.
Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, is widely believed to have helped mastermind the unprecedented Hamas attack that changed the course of Israeli-Palestinian history.
Israel's military resumed combat operations in the Palestinian enclave after a seven-day cease-fire broke down. During the pause, Hamas freed some 100 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinians.
The secretary of state said the U.S. is committed to seeing the release of all hostages held by Hamas. And gunmen killed three Israelis in an attack on the outskirts of West Jerusalem early Thursday.
The announcement by Qatar, which helped broker the original four-day cease-fire, was also confirmed by Hamas. The extension comes as another swap of hostages for prisoners was expected Monday.