The second batch of hostages held by Hamas has been freed after a delay of several hours. The temporary ceasefire remains in effect.
A group of 17 additional hostages who were previously kidnapped by Hamas militants and held captive in Gaza have been released. in
during the terrorist attack on October 7th
Israeli citizens were set free on Saturday following a prolonged wait, as stipulated in the temporary truce deal negotiated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.
Thirteen Israelis and four Thai citizens were released, according to a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Among those released were seven children, ages 3 to 16, and six women, ages 18 to 67.
18-month hiatus
They returned after an 18-month break.hours-long delay
On Saturday, Hamas accused Israel of failing to adhere to the terms of the cease-fire.
On Saturday night, it was announced that following an initial medical evaluation, the hostages will be escorted by IDF soldiers to Israeli hospitals where they will be reunited with their families.
On Saturday, Al-Ansari revealed that 39 Palestinians, including 33 children and six women, who were imprisoned in Israel, will also be set free as part of the exchange.
All this followed the release including two children, were released from Hamas custody on Friday.
On Friday, 24 hostages held by Hamas were released as part of the cease-fire. The group included 13 Israelis, 10 Thai nationals, and a Filipino citizen. The hostages ranged in age from 2 to 85 and included mothers and four children. Two of the hostages released from Hamas custody were children. two Americans
Last month, Hamas released two Israelis as well as a Palestinian prisoner.
The Israeli intelligence agency has been provided with a roster of the hostages set to be freed in each batch before they are handed over. The families of the hostages released in the second group on Saturday were informed in advance on Friday evening, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office.
After intense diplomatic efforts, a truce was put into effect on Friday morning. The truce requires a temporary halt in the battle and the liberation of approximately 50 hostages held by Hamas, consisting of women and children, within a span of four days. In return, Israel would release 150 Palestinian women and children currently in their custody.
Before the swap on Friday, Israel approximated that there were roughly 240 individuals being held as hostages by Hamas. Officials did not disclose on Saturday the specific number of individuals who are still being held captive.
The recent four-day truce deal permits numerous aid vehicles to enter the destroyed Gaza Strip. According to the United Nations, 200 trucks carrying essential supplies such as food, water, and medical resources entered southern Gaza from Egypt through the Rafah crossing on Friday, shortly after the truce commenced. In addition, four trucks of fuel and four tanks of cooking gas were transported into Gaza, as stated by the U.N.
According to statements from Egyptian and Israeli officials, approximately 200 trucks filled with aid will be allowed into Gaza on a daily basis during the ceasefire.
A source from the United States who is knowledgeable about the agreement for a cease-fire informed CBS News on Saturday that Hamas was dissatisfied with the amount of aid trucks that entered Gaza on Friday and Saturday, as it was less than what had been agreed upon. This led to a standoff on Saturday. According to the source, the final agreement between both parties stated that 200 trucks would be allowed daily, which was a decrease from the initial draft that proposed 300 trucks per day.
According to the terms, Hamas was frustrated with the order in which Palestinian prisoners were being released, as those who had been held the longest were not being released first. The source also mentioned this frustration.
In the meantime, it is anticipated that three individuals from the United States will be included in the group of 50 who will be released as part of the agreement. Overall, there are approximately 10 Americans whose whereabouts are still unknown following the Hamas assault.
President Biden stated on Friday that the U.S. is uncertain when the detained Americans will be freed, or what their conditions for release are. One of the hostages is a four-year-old.Abigail Mor Edan
The individual, whose mother and father were fatally shot by members of Hamas on October 7th, will not be released today according to a high-ranking representative from the Biden administration.
“We are currently in the initial stages of the agreement, which will result in the release of at least 50 women and children. Among those released, we anticipate there will be three dual national women and children who hold American citizenship. This will occur in the upcoming days, and we will refrain from discussing specific cases while the process is ongoing.”
Israel fulfilled its promise by releasing a group of 39 Palestinian prisoners on Friday, consisting of 24 women and 15 teenage boys. A large crowd gathered in the West Bank village of Beitunia to welcome them after their release from three Israeli prisons.
The transfer of the individuals was supervised by the Red Cross, initially taking place at Ofer Prison in the West Bank and then moving to Beitunia.
Israeli troops were present at Ofer Prison in preparation for the exchange, during which a group of Palestinians hurled rocks at them. Footage from CBS News captured the moment when one Palestinian was hit in the leg by a live bullet and quickly taken to an ambulance for medical treatment.
Noman Abu Naeem informed CBS News that his 16-year-old son Ahmed was included in the group of Palestinian detainees set to be released on Friday. Naeem stated that his son had been imprisoned for approximately one year on charges of participating in a demonstration.
“He expressed his excitement upon hearing the news of his son’s imminent release, like any parent eager to see their child,” he stated.
On Friday, Doron Katz-Asher and her two daughters, aged 2 and 4, were freed among the released Israeli hostages. They were previously abducted from kibbutz Nir Oz.
Israeli authorities previously said
On October 7th, a significant portion of the population in Nir Oz, situated approximately 1.5 miles from the Gaza border, was either killed or captured by members of Hamas.
“I was overcome with emotion,” stated Dori Roberts, a relative of Doron Katz-Asher, in an interview with CBS News on Friday. “I had to take a moment to compose myself and release all my feelings. It was an incredibly exhilarating experience.”
The captives were transported by bus to Israel, where they were taken to a military facility for medical evaluation. From there, they were airlifted to hospitals in Israel and reunited with their loved ones.
On Friday, President Biden expressed optimism that the temporary ceasefire could be prolonged, stating that he is actively communicating with the leaders of Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to ensure the agreement is fully executed and remains on course.
One hour after the temporary ceasefire on Friday, CBS News recorded footage of Israeli soldiers shooting and killing at least two Palestinians in an attempt to prevent them from reentering the evacuated northern Gaza area.
According to CBS News producer Marwan al-Ghoul, a group of 4,000 to 5,000 individuals from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis ignored warnings from Israel Defense Forces and began traveling north. Upon reaching a crossover point in central Gaza, they were met with gunfire from Israeli tanks.
According to Majed Al-Ansari, a representative of Qatar’s foreign ministry, it is the responsibility of Israel and Hamas to uphold the terms of the cease-fire agreement, despite Qatar acting as a mediator between the two parties. He made this statement to journalists on Thursday.
Over 1,200 individuals, primarily civilians, were fatally attacked by Hamas fighters in their October 7th infiltration of southern Israel, as reported by the Israeli armed forces.
The Gaza Health Ministry, under the control of Hamas, reports that approximately 15,000 individuals in Gaza have lost their lives due to Israel’s counter-attack through ground invasion and aerial bombings. The United Nations has calculated that around 1.7 million of the 2.3 million residents in Gaza have been forced to leave their homes as a result of this conflict.
Contributing to this report were Margaret Brennan, Lilia Luciano, Imtiaz Tyab, Tucker Reals, Elias Lopez, Caitlin Yilek, Bo Erickson, Khaled Wassef, and Holly Williams.
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Source: cbsnews.com