Medical teams attend to Israeli children hostages who were held by Hamas in Gaza, after they landed in an Israeli army helicopter at the helipad of the Schneider-Children`s Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel, 24 November 2023 EPA/ABIR SULTAN
After the worst attack on Israel in its history, Hamas has freed the first batch of captives it had abducted. A temporary ceasefire in the besieged Gaza Strip is the result of this arrangement.
Israeli military officials have announced that thirteen Israeli captives who were taken during cross-border incursions by Palestinian terrorists have been returned to Israeli land and will undergo medical checks before being reunited with their families.
According to the official Israeli tally, the number includes four youngsters and six ladies of advanced age.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that all hostages will be released. "This is one of the aims of the war and we are determined to achieve all the aims of the war," added the commander.
Earlier, a convoy of Red Cross cars was seen crossing the Gaza-Egypt border, some of the passengers waving, as Hamas handed over the hostages to the relief organisation.
As part of an agreement made following weeks of negotiations between Israel, Palestinian terrorist organisations, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, Israel has agreed to release three times as many Palestinian detainees, including women and teenage boys.
Qatar, the major negotiator, verified the release of 24 hostages by Hamas and the release of 39 women and children by Israel.
Israelis, Thais, and Filipinos are all represented among the freed individuals, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al Ansari.
A two-minute video showing masked fighters in the green headband of Hamas's armed wing releasing the hostages to Red Cross officials was later released by Hamas.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden characterised Friday's release as a "start" and said there was a "real" potential of extending the interim truce in Gaza.
Biden, who is now spending the Thanksgiving holiday in Massachusetts, spoke to reporters there and urged a concerted effort to ensure that a Palestinian state exists alongside Israel after the current situation is resolved.
Israeli military photos showed gifts and teddy bears waiting at the receiving centre where the rescued hostages were brought, as well as bright pink and blue headphones put on chopper seats.
It is anticipated that at least 50 captives will be freed during the four-day ceasefire.
In exchange, the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners is anticipated.
Before the captives were freed, legal adviser Tsiv Agmon from Netanyahu's office assured reporters that the Red Cross would greet them, bring them across the border, and then turn them over to the Israeli army.
An Egyptian security official confirmed that they will be taken to Israel via Israel from El-Arish in Sinai.
According to Agmon, the soldiers were well-prepared to deal with traumatised females and children.
He added that after the medical checks, the former prisoners would be able to call their families to rejoin with them at Israeli hospitals.
At least 18 of the kidnapped youngsters were younger than 10 years old, bringing the total number of young captives to at least 35.
Earlier, Hamas freed four women and Israeli forces rescued another. Besides the female soldier, Israeli forces in Gaza also discovered the bodies of two additional hostages.
Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began, the UN reports that 137 trucks have delivered supplies of food, water, medication, and other necessities to the Gaza Strip.
The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs stated in a statement that the humanitarian convoy was the largest to enter Gaza since the beginning of the conflict.
According to the statement, in addition to the 21 critically sick patients being evacuated, 129,000 litres of fuel entered Palestinian territory. /BGNES
