Hamas releases 8 more hostages as part of deal with Israel

Author:
Anastasiia Mohylevets
Date:

Another hostage release by Hamas took place in the Gaza Strip. The militants handed over three Israeli citizens and five Thais to IDF

Israeli Defence Forces
.

This is reported by The Times of Israel and BBC.

Among those who returned to their homeland were Arbel Yehud, a kidnapped resident of Kibbutz

A kibbutz is an Israeli agricultural commune where people live and work together, jointly own property, and share profits.
Nir-Oz, and farmer Gadi Mozes. A 21-year-old soldier Agam Berger was also released after being held captive for 482 days.

The hostages were initially handed over to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, after which they were taken to Israeli forces in the Netzarim Corridor area. The former prisoners will be checked at a military facility near Kibbutz Reim.

This is the third hostage release under the ceasefire agreement. Israel is scheduled to release 110 Palestinian prisoners in return on January 30.

Gaza ceasefire agreement

On the evening of January 15, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. This could ease tensions in the Middle East, where conflicts continue in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

The ceasefire agreement was originally scheduled to take effect on January 19 at 08:30, but Israel continued to attack the Gaza Strip because Hamas failed to provide a list of hostages to be released today in time, thereby violating the terms of the agreement.

However, Hamas later provided a list of three hostages who would be released today, Israel confirmed this, and the agreement went into effect at 11:15 a.m. local time.

Media reports say that in the first phase, IDF will withdraw to within 700 meters of the Gaza Strip, Israel will release approximately 2 000 Palestinians and Hamas will release 33 Israeli prisoners. Israel will allow the wounded in Gaza to move through the territory to receive medical care and will open the Rafah crossing with Egypt. The IDF troops will begin to withdraw from the Philadelphia Corridor.

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