Israel is set to free three times as many Palestinian prisoners – women and teenage boys – under a deal that followed weeks of talks involving Israel, Palestinian militant groups, Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
Key mediator Qatar confirmed Hamas had on Friday released a total of 24 hostages and that Israel had freed 39 women and children from its prisons.
“Those released include 13 Israeli citizens, some of whom are dual citizens, in addition to 10 Thai citizens and a Filipino citizen,” its foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said.
A White House official said, “we do not expect Americans to be among the first group released today but remain hopeful that there will be Americans among the 50 released”.
Pictures released earlier by the Israeli army showed bright pink and blue headphones sitting on the seats of a helicopter ready for the released hostages to use, along with toys and teddy bears waiting at a reception centre where they were being taken.
Hamas broke through Gaza’s militarised border with Israel on Oct 7 to kill, according to Israeli officials, about 1,200 people and seize around 240 Israeli and foreign hostages.
During a four-day truce, at least 50 hostages are expected to be freed.
In exchange, 150 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released.
Of the 39 released on Friday, 28 were freed in the occupied West Bank, an AFP correspondent saw, while the other 11 were on their way to annexed east Jerusalem.
Israeli forces used tear gas to disperse a crowd of Palestinians gathered near an Israeli prison in the West Bank, where two coaches were later seen leaving watched by armoured vehicles.
Source: CNA
