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Gaza City, Gaza Strip – The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, released a third batch of hostages on Sunday as part of the ongoing temporary ceasefire agreement with Israel. This development marks another step in the efforts to de-escalate the situation in the region.
According to Philippines News Agency, the group handed over 13 Israeli detainees, three Thais, and one Russian to the International Red Cross as part of the humanitarian truce. Israeli Army Radio reported that the exchange took place in the northern Gaza Strip, with some detainees crossing the border at a point between Gaza and Israel. The Israeli army confirmed receiving the 13 Israeli hostages, including four women and nine children, from the Red Cross. The youngest of these hostages is four years old. Twelve hostages were transferred to the Israeli Army Special Forces and the Shin Bet internal security agency at the central Gaza Strip border fence, while an 84-year-old woman with a medical condition was airlifted directly to Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva.
Israeli Army Radio also mentioned that the four foreign hostages were transferred to Egypt via the Rafah Crossing by the Red Cross before meeting with Israeli troops in Israeli territory. Additionally, the Palestine Liberation Organization’s prisoners department released a list of 39 Palestinian prisoners, including 21 from Jerusalem, one from the Gaza Strip, and the rest from the West Bank, all of whom are children. These prisoners were confirmed to have been transported to Ramallah.
Amid these developments, Palestinian sources indicated that mediation efforts to extend the current ceasefire, set to expire on Monday, have intensified. Qatar and Egypt have reportedly presented a draft agreement to Israel and Hamas for extending the ceasefire and facilitating a larger prisoner swap. The proposed extension involves the release of 40 to 50 captives from Gaza and increased humanitarian aid to alleviate the crisis in the Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video statement, expressed openness to extending the truce if Hamas agreed to release more hostages. Concurrently, a Hamas representative stated the group’s intention to extend the ceasefire beyond the initial four-day agreement.
The temporary ceasefire, now in its third day, includes a cessation of hostilities and an increased flow of aid trucks into the Palestinian enclave. This follows a delay in the second batch of releases on Saturday due to accusations from Hamas against Israel for not adhering to the truce terms regarding relief truck entry into northern Gaza. The truce agreement also stipulates the exchange of 50 Israeli female and teen hostages from Gaza for approximately 150 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons, with potential for more releases in subsequent stages.
