By Sabiu Abdullahi
Hamas has freed 24 hostages held captive in Gaza for nearly seven weeks in an effort to respect the truce agreement led by Qatar since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted.
Simultaneously, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners as part of the agreement. The hostages included 13 Israelis, 10 Thai nationals, and one Filipino citizen.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the transport of the captives from Gaza to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. The ICRC expressed relief over the safe release of the hostages on social media.
This release is part of a broader deal between Israel and Hamas, involving a four-day truce and the exchange of captives.
The 24 released captives represent a fraction of the approximately 240 taken hostage by Hamas during an assault on southern Israel on October 7.
Israeli authorities confirmed the return of the captives to Israeli territory, where they would undergo medical checks before reuniting with their families.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video recording, affirmed the government’s commitment to securing the return of all remaining captives.
Qatar, a key mediator, stated that, as part of the deal, 39 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails were released. Israel confirmed the release of the 39 prisoners.
The broader agreement outlines that Hamas will release 50 women and children in exchange for Israel releasing a total of 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons. Palestinians have long portrayed these prisoners as victims of an Israeli occupation lacking due process.
The captives taken by Hamas on October 7 comprised Israeli soldiers and civilians, as well as individuals from various foreign countries. Families both in Israel and abroad had fervently appealed for their release.
Qatar’s Majed al-Ansari noted that the release of 10 Thai nationals and a Filipino citizen occurred outside the truce deal framework.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin confirmed the release of 12 Thai hostages and mentioned that around 30,000 Thais were employed in Israel, primarily in agriculture, at the time of the attack.
The hostage release and prisoner exchange mark a significant step towards de-escalation in the region, albeit against a backdrop of longstanding tensions and the complex dynamics between Israel and Hamas.
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