RAFAH, Gaza Strip — International mediators appeared to make progress Wednesday on extending the truce in Gaza, encouraging the territory’s Hamas rulers to keep freeing hostages in return for the release of Palestinian Arab prisoners and further respite from Israel’s air and ground offensive. It will otherwise expire within a day.

Israel has welcomed the release of dozens of hostages in recent days and says it will maintain the truce if Hamas keeps freeing captives. Its other major goal — the annihilation of the armed group that has ruled Gaza for 16 years and orchestrated the deadly terrorist attack on Israel that triggered the war — appears to some to look less and less likely.

On the other hand, Israel has not abandoned its stated goal of extirpating Hamas from Gaza. This has been asserted by Prime Minister Netanyahu; the Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant; and other officials. It has emerged as a major point of contention between Israel and the Biden administration.

Weeks of heavy aerial bombardment and a ground invasion have so far have had little effect on Hamas’ rule, evidenced by its ability to conduct complex negotiations, enforce the cease-fire among other armed groups, and orchestrate the smooth release of hostages.

Top Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, have likely relocated to the south, along with hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians who have packed into overflowing shelters.

An Israeli ground invasion of the south could eventually ferret out Hamas’ leaders and demolish the rest of its militant infrastructure, including miles of tunnels, but at a cost that America, Israel’s main ally, seems unwilling to bear.

The Biden administration has told Israel that if it resumes the offensive it must operate with far greater precision, especially in the south. That approach is unlikely to bring Hamas to its knees any time soon, and international pressure for a lasting cease-fire is already mounting.

“How far both sides will be prepared to go in trading hostages and prisoners for the pause is about to be tested, but the pressures and incentives for both to stick with it are at the moment stronger than the incentives to go back to war,” a former American ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk, wrote on X.

DIPLOMACY RAMPS UP

The head of Egypt’s state information services, Diaa Rashwan, said negotiations to extend the cease-fire and release more hostages have made progress and that it is “highly likely” another extension will be announced Wednesday.

Egypt, along with Qatar and America, played a key role in mediating the original cease-fire and a two-day extension announced Monday. Secretary Blinken, who is expected to push for a longer truce, was set to visit the region this week.

A joint statement from foreign ministers of the G7 group of wealthy democracies, which includes close allies of Israel, called for the “further extension of the pause” and for “protecting civilians and compliance with international law.”

The war began with Hamas’ October 7 attack into southern Israel, in which it killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The militants dragged some 240 people back into Gaza, including babies, children, women, soldiers, older adults and Thai farm laborers.

Israel responded with an air campaign across Gaza and a ground invasion in the north. More than 13,300 Palestinian Arabs have been killed, roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

ISRAEL’S HOSTAGE DILEMMA

The plight of the captives, and the lingering shock from the October 7 attack, has galvanized Israeli support for the war. Yet Mr. Netanyahu is also under intense pressure to bring the hostages home, and could find it difficult to resume the offensive if there’s a prospect for more releases.

Hamas is still believed to be holding around 150 hostages — enough to extend the cease-fire for another two weeks under the current arrangement of releasing 10 each day. Yet an unknown number of those are soldiers, and Hamas is expected to drive a harder bargain for them.

After being extended by two days, the cease-fire is due to end at some point after a final exchange later on Wednesday.

A total of 60 Israelis have been freed as part of the truce, most of whom appear physically well but shaken. Another 21 hostages — 19 Thais, one Filipino and one Russian-Israeli — have been released in separate negotiations since the truce began. Before the cease-fire, Hamas released four hostages, and the Israeli army rescued one. Two others were found dead in Gaza.

The latest swap brought to 180 the number of Palestinian Arabs freed from Israeli prisons.