The Israeli military said on Wednesday that fourteen hostages, ten Israelis and four Thais, had been released by Hamas, under the deal between the two sides that enters its sixth day today and expires on Thursday.
Among the hostages released by Hamas is Liam Or, an 18-year-old young man of Sephardic descent, with Portuguese ancestry, according to the Comunidade Israelita do Porto (CIP).
Liam Or is the son of Dana Or (with a pending nationality application) and cousin of Dror Or (a Portuguese citizen).
The CIP said in a statement that “Liam Or’s cousins (who are Dror Or’s daughters), Alma Or (13 years old) and Noam Or (17 years old), were released on Saturday, the day they learned that their father a hostage” (a situation that still exists) “and that the mother had been murdered on October 7”, during Hamas attacks on Israeli territory.
According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), information that the fourteen Israeli hostages had been released was relayed by the Red Cross.
Initially, the Israeli military announced that Hamas would release twelve hostages, noting that two had already been transferred to Egypt, later with the departure of fourteen hostages from the Gaza Strip.
Ten Israeli and four Thai hostages have just been transferred by the Israeli army @ICRC to Egypt, and are currently en route to the Kerem Shalom Crossing, where they will be received by Israeli security officials.
The families of the hostages are kept informed by IDF representatives.
– Israeli Defense Forces (@IDF) November 29, 2023
Two Russian nationals and four Thai nationals were released today by Hamas outside the framework of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, according to the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
In addition, as part of the humanitarian pause deal, 30 Palestinians, including 16 minors and 14 women, will be released by the Israelis today.
According to the spokesperson, among the hostages released by Hamas today are five citizens with dual nationality: one Dutch, three Germans and one North American.
Egyptian television, quoted by France-Presse (AFP), later said that the ten Israeli hostages and four Thais released by Hamas were already in Egypt.
Aiming to extend the ceasefire, the mediating countries are redoubling their efforts and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold talks in Israel and the West Bank on Thursday.
“We would like to see this pause extended,” Blinken said before his departure in Brussels. This extension “means more hostages returning home and more aid” for the Gaza Strip.
After an initial extension of the ceasefire until Thursday at 7 a.m. local time (5 a.m. in Lisbon), a source close to Hamas told France-Presse that the group agreed to extend the ceasefire for another four days and release new hostages to leave. “under the current agreement and under the same conditions”, but no agreement has yet been confirmed.
So far, Hamas has released 81 hostages under the deal – 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 and taking more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli authorities .
In retaliation, Israel declared war on Hamas and began bombing the Gaza Strip daily, where it launched a ground invasion, in addition to blocking the access of essential goods such as water, fuel and medicine.
According to Hamas, Israeli army attacks in the Gaza Strip had killed more than 14,000 people until the start of the ceasefire.
Source: DN
