The Israeli Army stated this Wednesday that 14 hostages, 10 Israelis and four Thais, were released by Hamas, within the framework of the agreement between both parties that entered its sixth day this Wednesday and expires on Thursday.
According to the Israeli forces (IDF), this information was transmitted by the Red Cross and the hostages are on their way to the Rafah crossing, from the Gaza Strip towards Egypt.
Initially, the Israeli army announced that Hamas was going to release 12 hostages, noting that two had already been transferred to Egypt, later updating the departure of 14 hostages from the Gaza Strip.
According to the spokesman for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, two Russian citizens and four Thais were released this Wednesday by Hamas outside the framework of the truce agreement negotiated with the mediation of Qatar, the United States and Egypt.
In addition, as part of the humanitarian pause agreement, 30 Palestinians, including 16 minors and 14 women, will be released this Wednesday by the Israelis.
Among the hostages released this Wednesday by Hamas are five citizens with dual nationality – a Dutchman, three Germans and an American – according to the spokesman.
Egyptian television, cited by France-Presse (AFP), later claimed that the ten Israeli hostages and the four Thais freed by Hamas were already in Egypt.
With the aim of prolonging the truce, the mediating countries are redoubling their efforts and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold talks on Thursday in Israel and the West Bank.
“We would like this pause to be prolonged,” Blinken said before his departure to Brussels. This extension “means more hostages returning home and more aid” for the Gaza Strip.
After a first extension of the truce until Thursday at 07:00 local time (05:00 Lisbon time), a source close to Hamas told France-Presse that the group agreed to extend it for another four days and release new Israeli hostages. under the current agreement and on the same conditions”, but no understanding has yet been confirmed.
So far, under the agreement, Hamas has freed 81 hostages – 61 Israelis and 20 foreigners – while Israel has handed over 180 Palestinians, all women and children.
The war began on October 7, when the Islamist group Hamas, considered terrorist by the European Union and the United States, attacked Israel by surprise, killing more than 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities, and also taking more than 200 hostages.
In retaliation, Israel declared war on Hamas and began daily bombing of the Gaza Strip, where it launched a ground invasion, in addition to blocking the entry of essential goods such as water, fuel and medicine.
Until the start of the truce, Israeli army attacks in the Gaza Strip had killed more than 14,000 people, according to Hamas.
Source: TSF
