Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed the release of two German-Israeli hostages captured by Palestinian militants in the October 7, 2023 attack and called for the release of all remaining captives, AFP reported.
Earlier, militants in Gaza freed five Thai and three Israeli hostages, including two German-Israeli dual nationals, 80-year-old Gadi Moses and 29-year-old Arbel Yehud.
"We are relieved and rejoice with all the hostages who were released," Scholz said in X.
"All the hostages should be released and all the remains of the dead should be returned to the families."
The January 30 hostage swap is the third to take place under the current ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel must release 110 prisoners, including 30 minors, in exchange for the three Israelis, said the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also welcomed the "blessing" of the release of Moses and Yehuda, who she said had been "tortured to death by Hamas".
"Their strength touches me deeply," she wrote in a post in German and Hebrew, but added that "both have lost close relatives to Hamas' cruel terror" and that their "worlds are no longer the same."
She said the second phase of the ceasefire was essential.
During the current first phase of the agreement, the terms of the second phase must be agreed, with the aim of freeing the last hostages in Gaza and bringing a definitive end to the war.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he had sent a letter to the families of Moses and Yehud to share his "deep joy" at the news of their release.
"We can hardly imagine what Arbel Yehud and Gabby Moses have gone through," Steinmeier said. | BGNES
