Israel receives list of hostages to be released Saturday by Hamas
Gaza on Saturday by Palestinian militant group Hamas, officials said, following the release of 24 hostages during the first day of a planned four-day truce on Friday.
Israeli security officials were reviewing the list, said a statement from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government promised to work toward the release of all hostages taken by Hamas in an attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
The released hostages, including Israeli women and children and Thai farm workers, were transferred out of Gaza and handed over to Egyptian authorities at the Rafah border crossing, accompanied by eight staff members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a four-car convoy, the ICRC said.
They were then taken to Israel for medical checks and reunions with relatives.
Qatar, which acted as mediator for the truce deal, said 13 Israelis had been released, some with dual nationality, plus 10 Thais and a Filipino — farm workers employed in southern Israel when they were taken hostage. Thirty-nine Palestinian women and children detainees were released from Israeli jails.
The Israeli hostages freed included four children accompanied by four family members, and five elderly women.
U.S.
President Joe Biden said there was a real chance of extending the truce and that the pause in fighting was a critical opportunity to get humanitarian aid into Gaza. The pause in fighting was the first break in the war that erupted seven weeks ago.
Biden declined to speculate about how long the Israel-Hamas war would last.
