Hamas released 13 Israelis and four foreigners, following which Israel began releasing 39 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, in the second round of swaps under a ceasefire deal, the Israeli military said. The terrorist group initially delayed the exchange for several hours claiming that Israel had violated the terms of a truce deal.
According to the Israeli military, the released hostages, including four Thais, had been transferred to Israel. They were being taken to hospitals for observation and to be reunited with their families.
Hamas released a video showing the hostages appearing shaken as masked terrorists led them to Red Cross vehicles headed out of Gaza.
Hostages headed out of the besieged enclave. In Jerusalem, Israeli troops evicted journalists who gathered outside the home of Israa Jaabis, who had been imprisoned since 2015 after being convicted of carrying out separate attacks on Israelis.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that the Israeli hostages released on Saturday by Hamas included seven children and six women.
Spokesperson for the kibbutz said that most of the released hostages were from Kibbutz Be'eri, a community Hamas militants ravaged during their October 7 cross-border attack.
A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the October 7 rampage or had left a loved one in captivity in Gaza.
The mother of one of the released hostages, Hila Rotem (12), remained in captivity, the spokesperson said.
Another girl, Emily Hand was held as a hostage. Her father believed her to be dead for weeks before finding out about her hostage situation. Residents of the kibbutz have been staying together at a Dead Sea hotel since the October 7 attack. A large crowd gathered in a function room at the hotel late Saturday, cheering in excitement as they saw the first images of their loved ones being released.
The last-minute delay had created a tense standoff on the second day of what's meant to be a four-day ceasefire.
Hamas alleged that the aid deliveries permitted by Israel fell short of what was promised and not enough of it was reaching northern Gaza - the focus of Israel’s ground offensive. Hamas also said not enough veteran prisoners were freed in the first swap on Friday.
"This is putting the deal in danger," Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said in Beirut.
On the first day of the ceasefire, Hamas released 24 of the nearly 240 hostages taken during its October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war. Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino. Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners, during the four-day truce -- all women and minors.
(With AP inputs)
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