GAZA: The international community has welcomed the two-day truce extension, with simultaneous calls for its continuation and the eventual cessation of the conflict, AFP reports.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it “a glimpse of hope and humanity in the middle of the darkness of war”.

“Our forces will accompany them until they are reunited with their families,” the Israeli military said in a statement, adding that it “salutes and embraces the released hostages upon their return home”.

The releases brought “a sigh of relief to our community, however, we remain deeply concerned about our loved ones that are still held hostage,” kibbutz official Osnat Peri said.

Hamas said it had sought a new truce deal with Israel under which the group would release hostages beyond the women and children it has already released from the Gaza Strip, Reuters reports.

The remarks by Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya late on Monday came as Israel expanded the roster of Palestinian detainees it could release in exchange for hostages another signal that a revision of truce terms was being considered.

“We hope the Occupation (Israel) abides (by the agreement) in the next two days because we are seeking a new agreement, besides women and children, whereby other categories that we have that we can swap,” Al-Hayya told Al Jazeera.

That, he said, would entail “going towards an additional time period to continue swapping people at this stage”.