Mediators intensify efforts to broker "humanitarian truce" in Gaza: Palestinian source

GAZA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian source on Wednesday told Xinhua that the chances of reaching an agreement on a temporary cease-fire in Gaza under the condition of the release of hostages are increasing with intense mediation efforts made by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.

The unnamed source explained that the "humanitarian truce" expected to last for one to three days in exchange for the release of hostages held in Gaza may be announced in the coming hours or days.

Earlier on Wednesday, in a meeting with officials of the West Bank settlements, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed that his government will not agree to a cease-fire in Gaza unless the hostages seized by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack are freed.

Israel struck Gaza in retaliation for a cross-border Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, during which Hamas militants took about 240 hostages. The bloody conflict, raging for over a month, has led to the deaths of at least 10,569 Palestinians in Gaza and killed 1,400 people in Israel, the vast majority in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.