[ad_1]
Gaza: Seventeen hostages, including 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals, have arrived in Israel after they were released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, the Israeli military says.
“After undergoing an initial medical assessment, they will continue to be accompanied by IDF soldiers as they make their way to Israeli hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families,” the Israel Defence Forces said.
The released Israeli hostages are Noam Or, aged 16, and Alma Or, 13; Shiri Weiss, 53, and Noga Weiss, 18; Sharon Hertzman Avigdori, 52, and Noam Avigdori, 12l; Shoshan Haran, 67, Adi Shoham, 38, Naveh Shoham, 8, and Yahel Shoham, 3; Hila Rotem Shoshani, 12; Emily Toni Kornberg Hand, 8; and Maya Regev Jirbi, 21.
The Gaza hostage release deal was back on track on Saturday night (Israel time) after a row over aid supplies to the north of the besieged enclave was resolved, following mediation by Qatar and Egypt.
Red Cross representatives transferred the hostages to Egypt shortly before 9am AEDT. According to the information received by the IDF, 17 hostages were released, including 13 Israeli hostages and four Thai hostages.
A Palestinian official familiar with the diplomacy said Hamas would continue with the four-day truce agreed with Israel, the first break in fighting in seven weeks of war.
The armed wing of Hamas had earlier said it was delaying Saturday’s scheduled second round of hostage releases until Israel met all truce conditions, including committing to let aid trucks into northern Gaza.
Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan said only 65 of 340 aid trucks that had entered Gaza since Friday had reached northern Gaza, which was “less than half of what Israel agreed on.”
[ad_2]
Source link