Talks of extending the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are underway, with both sides expressing that they would like to continue the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for the freedom of Palestinians held in Israeli jails. The established ceasefire is scheduled to end on Tuesday, November 28th at seven o’clock in the morning. If allowed to expire, this would mean a return to the violence that has already devastated Gaza and killed thousands of civilians.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he did not wish for the ceasefire to end, but promised that Israel would return to military offensive when the truce ends and pledged that Israel will “crush” Hamas. However, he did also state that he would be in favor of an extension of the ceasefire to continue prisoner and hostage releases.

United States President Joe Biden said on Sunday that the U.S. will “continue to remain personally engaged to see that this deal is fully implemented and work to extend the deal as well.” Qatar’s lead negotiator and Minister of State Mohammed Al-Khulaifi has said that this ceasefire calls for the international community to “seize this brief window of opportunity to generate further momentum for the diplomatic track.”

A renewal of the ceasefire would be very significant, as it would be a step toward ending the violent humanitarian crisis that has been occurring in Gaza. The longer the ceasefire continues, the more likely it is that a peaceful, diplomatic solution can be found for the conflict between Israel and Palestine. If the ceasefire is not renewed, this would lead to more death and destruction, as Israel has insisted it will not call off its offensive until Hamas no longer is a threat for Israel. In addition, a longer pause in fighting would mean more time for humanitarian groups to enter and provide much needed aid.

The third prisoner-hostage exchange occurred on Sunday without any major bumps. Hamas released 17 hostages, including Thai and Russian nationals, and Israeli women and children. In exchange, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners, mostly children. Under the original ceasefire deal, Hamas would release a number of hostages in exchange for Palestinians kept in Israeli jails. The U.S. and Israel have also agreed to put drone flights over Gaza on pause for six hours a day in order to keep these hostage releases secure.

Ultimately, the livelihoods of many are on the line as talks continue over whether or not to extend the ceasefire. An extension to the ceasefire would be very important in not only giving time for humanitarian aid to reach those hurt by the conflict, but as well as increasing the chances for a peaceful resolution to arise. This potential for a longer pause could prove vital to ending the violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict.