First group of Gaza hostages released

The first group of hostages is released from Gaza more than six weeks after the attack on October 7.

Last hour, the Red Cross confirmed that twenty hostages were taken from Gaza to the Rafah border, where they will soon be reunited with their families after being handed over to the Egyptian authorities. According to Qatari authorities, 13 Israelis, ten Thais and one Filipino were released. The Thai hostages were released under a separate agreement.

The hostage deal comes as fighting between Israel and Hamas has been suspended for the first time since October 7, brokered by Qatar and ratified by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. About 50 Israeli hostages will be released over the next four days in exchange for a lull in fighting and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners during the temporary ceasefire. An X-mail from the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman said that 39 Palestinians were released today.

News footage of people cheering as Red Cross vehicles drive from Gaza to Egypt is broadcast around the world.

Although this group is by far the largest number of hostages released since October 7, they are not the first. A mother and daughter from Chicago were released after fourteen days, as well as an 85-year-old Israeli woman.

Netanyahu stressed that the ceasefire was only temporary and that fighting would likely resume after the four days were up. He previously said that Israel will not stop until Hamas is destroyed.

On October 7, Hamas killed about 1,400 people and kidnapped more than 200 in Israel, shocking the world. Since then, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has carried out a sustained ground and bombing campaign in Gaza, which has led to the mass evacuation of thousands of people. According to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 14,000 people – including more than 5,000 children – were killed. Recently, the IDF attacked Al-Shifa Hospital, believed to be home to a Hamas control base.