After 48 days ,On 24 November the first swap of hostages and prisoners happened with Israel releasing 39 Palestinians from Israeli prisons
and Hamas releasing 24 hostages of various nationalities and13 Israeli hostages were released by Hamas who were captured during Israel and Hamas war.
14 Thai hostages and one Filipino have been released as part of a separate deal between Hamas and the Egyptian government.
Under the terms of the Israel-Hamas temporary truce, a total of 50 hostages will be released during a four-day pause in fighting which began on 24 November .
On 23 October, Hamas released two Israeli women hostages, aged 79 and 85, for humanitarian reasons after mediation by Qatar and Egypt. The ICRC helped transport them out of Gaza.
On 20 October, Hamas released two American hostages for humanitarian reasons and in response to Qatari and US pressure. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it helped facilitate the release of the hostages by transporting them from Gaza to Israel.
Hamas said 150 Palestinian women and teenagers will be released from Israeli jails under the deal, and hundreds of lorries of humanitarian aid, medical supplies and fuel will be allowed into Gaza.
Hamas has offered to release all hostages in exchange for Israel releasing all Palestinian prisoners, this offered supported by some Israeli families but rejected by the Israeli military as “psychological terror”. Several countries have been involved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, with Qatar taking the lead.
Hamas’s attack on Israel has given rise to the largest-scale hostage crisis in the country’s 75-year history.
About 200 people have been captured and taken into Gaza during Israel and Hamas war according to the Israeli military.
Over the Arab-Israeli conflict, armed Palestinian groups have taken dozens of Israelis captive.
The vast majority have been Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldiers, which have been used by various Palestinian groups to secure the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners.
On 7 October 2023, as part of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in Israel at the beginning of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Palestinian militants (led by Hamas) abducted around 250 people to the Gaza Strip, Of these, four have been released and one rescued before the 2023 Israel–Hamas ceasefire and 25 hostages were released during it.
By October 2023, Israel held 5,200 Palestinians (including 170 juveniles) in its prisons; Hamas stated its objective was to secure their release The Hamas militants kidnapped 30 children, elderly people, and pregnant women. In addition to full Israeli citizens, almost half of the hostages include dual citizens and foreign nationals. The accurate ratio of soldiers and civilians among the captives is unaware. The captives are most probably held in different locations in the Gaza Strip.
This time, Hamas officials have demanded the release of 6,000 people from Israeli prisons in exchange for the men, women and children taken since 7 October.
To know more please click HERE
To Read More News Please Click Here