Hamas fighters are set to release a new wave of hostages Saturday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, officials said, offering hope to anguished families after seven weeks of war that have killed thousands of people.
Key mediator Qatar was expected to announce the numbers of prisoners and hostages to be freed later Saturday, the second swap since a four-day ceasefire came into effect on Friday and largely silenced the guns on both sides.
Israeli authorities said they had received a list of the hostages to be freed but did not provide numbers or the precise timing.
On Friday, the first day of the truce, Hamas released 24 hostages, according to key mediator Qatar and an official Israeli list. They comprised 13 Israelis — all of whom were women and children, including some dual citizens — 10 Thais and one Filipino.
A two-minute video released by Hamas showed masked militants with rifles, wearing military fatigues and the green headband of its armed wing, as they handed the hostages over to Red Cross officials
Israel in turn freed 39 women and children from its prisons.
“It’s only a start, but so far it’s gone well,” US President Joe Biden told reporters in Massachusetts, where he was spending the Thanksgiving holiday.
“I think the chances are real” for extending the truce, he said.
Biden also urged a broader effort to emerge from the crisis with a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel.
About 215 hostages remain in Gaza, Israeli army spokesman Doron Spielman said.
“We’re unaware, many of these cases, if they are dead or alive. We’re trying to collect intelligence,” he said.
Hamas fighters snatched the captives when they broke through Gaza’s militarised border with Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures.
In response to the deadliest attack in its history, Israel launched an air, artillery and naval offensive to destroy Hamas, killing about 15,000 people, according to the Hamas government in Gaza.
Hamas is expected to free 50 hostages during the ceasefire in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, part of an agreement struck after talks involving Israel, Palestinian militant groups, Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
AFP
