Hamas released 24 hostages on Friday who had been held captive in Gaza for weeks. At the same time, Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison in the first stage of a swap under a four-day cease-fire deal. The government of Qatar, which helped facilitate the exchange, reported that among those freed are 13 Israelis, 10 people from Thailand, and one from the Philippines. This development marks a significant step towards resolving the conflict and building trust between the two parties.