Hamas on Friday released 24 hostages who had been held captive in Gaza for weeks, including 13 Israelis, 10 people from Thailand and a Filipino citizen, according to Qatar and the Red Cross, the first stage of a swap for Palestinian prisoners in Israel agreed as part of a temporary ceasefire.
Hours after guns fell silent for the first time in seven weeks of conflict, the International Red Cross said it had begun an operation to facilitate the transfer of hostages in Gaza to Israel.
"The deep pain that family members separated from their loved ones feel is indescribable. We are relieved that some will be reunited after long agony," said Fabrizio Carboni, the International Committee of the Red Cross's regional director for the Near and Middle East.
The hostages, who include Israeli women and children and Thai farm workers, are undergoing medical checks. They are to be transferred to Israeli hospitals.
The release of the first Israeli hostages was to be followed by the freeing of 39 Palestinian prisoners: 24 women, including some convicted of attempted murder for attacks on Israeli forces, and 15 teenagers jailed for offences like throwing stones.
Palestinian prisoners
Israel is to free 150 Palestinian prisoners in total, while at least 50 of around 240 people seized by Hamas in its 7 October attacks will be released under the four-day ceasefire deal, which was agreed earlier this week.
Israel says the truce could be extended if more hostages are released at a rate of 10 per day.
A source briefed on the negotiations told Reuters that the release of the Thais, who were all men, was unrelated to the truce negotiations and followed a separate track of talks with Hamas mediated by Egypt and Qatar.
Fighting paused
Earlier on Friday, fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters halted for the first time in seven weeks under the truce.
No major bombings, artillery strikes or rocket attacks were reported, although Hamas and Israel both accused each other of sporadic shootings and other violations.
Aid deliveries promised under the deal also began. Four trucks of fuel and four trucks of cooking gas entered from Egypt, as well as 200 trucks of relief supplies, Israel said.
During the truce, Israel agreed to allow the delivery of 130,000 litres of fuel per day – still only a small portion of Gaza’s estimated daily needs of more than 1 million litres.
Both Israel and Hamas said the war would resume as soon as the truce was over.
(with AP and Reuters)
