According to Reuters, Israel has released 13 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, along with 12 Thai nationals. This move comes as part of a broader prisoner exchange and coincides with a new ceasefire between Israel and Gaza.
Reports from various Israeli media outlets, confirmed by Israel's Prime Minister's office, states that the hostages were handed over to the Red Cross and transported to the Rafah border, arriving in Egypt this afternoon.
The release of these hostages, which includes Israeli citizens as well as 12 Thais, was facilitated through negotiations mediated by Qatar and Egypt.
This prisoner exchange is a critical component of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza-Israel conflict, which began following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7th. As part of the agreement, Israel is also expected to release 39 Palestinians from Israeli prisons.
Hamas has agreed to release a total of 50 hostages over the four days of the ceasefire, while Israel has committed to freeing 150 Palestinian prisoners in return.
The hostages in Gaza had been held captive for nearly seven weeks since their capture during Hamas's attack, which saw approximately 240 individuals of various nationalities taken as hostages.
