The tenuous truce between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group was believed to be back on track after a second group of hostages was released, and Egypt announced that it had received new lists for an expected third release. In a separate development, Hamas announced the death of one of its top commanders, and this was confirmed by Israel’s military.
The second exchange was delayed on Saturday after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement, which paused the war after seven weeks. However, the exchange did proceed, with Hamas releasing 13 Israelis and four Thais and Israel freeing 39 Palestinian prisoners.
Diaa Rashwan, chair of the Egyptian State Information Services, stated that Egypt had received the list of 13 hostages that Hamas would release on Sunday and another list of 39 Palestinians that Israel would release afterward. Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, expressed optimism that an American hostage, likely 4-year-old Abigail Edan, would be released, and said President Joe Biden would speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later that day.
Hamas militants had taken roughly 240 people hostage, including children, which triggered the war in southern Israel. Forty-four hostages had been released, and one was freed by Israeli forces, while two were found dead inside Gaza. Some Israelis have criticized Netanyahu’s efforts to bring the hostages home, and families continue to pressure the country’s leaders to secure their release.
The war started with a terrorist attack by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians. Meanwhile, more than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to Gaza’s Hamas-controlled Health Ministry. The four-day cease-fire, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, stipulates that Hamas will release at least 50 Israeli hostages and Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners, all of whom are women and children.
The cease-fire has given Gaza some respite and allowed its population to start piecing their lives back together, with fewer Palestinian missiles being fired into Israel. However, conditions remain dire, with entire city blocks in ruins, people being displaced, and the devastation of residential areas. Despite the cease-fire, the Israeli military has ordered Palestinians not to return to the north or approach within a kilometer (0.6 miles) of the border fence.
The hostages freed on Saturday included seven children and six women, most of whom were from Kibbutz Be’eri, a community devastated by the Oct. 7 attack. The released hostages have kept a low profile with little public information about their captivity. As for the Palestinians who were released, they include at least two women serving long sentences for violent attacks and are viewed as heroes by many in their community. The war has led to increased violence in the Israeli West Bank, including a military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin that resulted in the deaths of five Palestinians.
By Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy