negotiators are working feverishly toward another potential extension of the truce between Israel and Hamas now in its Sixth and final day with a key mediator in Cutter telling national news outlets they're optimistic another extension will be announced Hamas released 81 hostages primarily women and children during the first five days of the paus and fighting while Israel freed 180 Palestinian prisoners as part of the deal the Israeli military said today it believes there are still an estimated 159 hostages being held in Gaza taken during the October 7th terror attack by Hamas in which roughly 1,00 Israelis were brutally murdered news of another extension comes as Hamas releases another set of hostages today with at least one American citizen expected to be among them and while the flow of Aid has increased to Gaza the UN secretary says it's not nearly enough for the 2 million Palestinians who are living in a humanitarian crisis more than 14,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military in the War mostly women and children that's according to the Gaza Health Ministry senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan caught up with one Palestinian New Jersey man who spoke with her at the beginning of this conflict and whose list of family members killed is only growing longer personally I would love to see a permanent cease can't imagine going through this cycle again but Amjad Abukwaik says it's still hard to keep his mind on work in his Paterson pharmacy even with a ceasefire in effect he's lost at least nine family members in the conflict and the remaining ones in Gaza struggle to survive he says dozens of relatives who fled bombing in the north now shelter for safety in crammed Apartments cooking over cinder block stoves the women and children sleep inside the apartment the men sleep in the staircase imagine 50 60 people living in one bedroom apartment for the last 50 days they can't even flush how the heck they use the bathroom they're lucky behind them bombed out buildings dominate a ravaged landscape food remains scarce and people Scramble for drinking water thousands live in tents Amjad's family meanwhiles using the ceasefire to reunite living relatives they charge cell phones when they can and am Jed tries to text every day he tear up when asked how he feels hopeless I mean this is the most cruel War ever seen in my life and that's what's really like you know if ask me why how do I feel I'm devastated the 54-year-old pharmacist came to the US in 1988 raised a thriving family of five in Paterson and named his Pharmacy sheefa after the gazan hospital hospital where he was born Israeli forces storm chiefa Hospital while amjad's namesake business prospers he feels helpless but watches news obsessively I've had many challenges in my life had many issues going on in my life personal business and so on but this has been the most devastating time I've ever experienced myself and as as much as I try to get myself out of this mode I can't even my kids ask me dad you just have to stop watching I can't I feel guilty the question even if the current ceasefire continues and all of the hostages are returned what happens then to the individual families to all of Gaza right now we're trying to save people's life that's really if if any you ask me what would I like to see out of this stop the violence Stop The Killing stop the murdering amjed says he hopes for peace but he's not confident with political hostility so inflamed he's even hesitant to wire cash to family in Gaza one of my cousin called I'm can you send us some money I said I can't if I send some money FBI is going to be knocking on my door right now in the end even if there is a diplomatic solution the logistics Remain the scale of of of of what's go the destruction in Gaza is unimaginable none of my family members homes is left in North Gaza they're all gone they have no home to go back to they have no business to go back to they have no school to go back to they simply have nothing to go back to even so rebuilding houses is easier than healing so many families broken hearts I'm Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight News [Music]