Hamas Frees 8 More Hostages As Israel Is Set To Release 110 Prisoners | rssama.com

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KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas-led militants freed 8 hostages connected Thursday successful nan latest merchandise since a ceasefire successful nan Gaza Strip took clasp earlier this month. Israel was expected to merchandise different 110 Palestinian prisoners.

The merchandise was delayed by a chaotic segment successful which a crowd of Palestinians surrounded and jeered astatine hostages arsenic they were turned complete to nan Red Cross.

The truce is aimed astatine winding down nan deadliest and astir destructive warfare ever fought betwixt Israel and Hamas, whose Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught into Israel sparked nan fighting. It has held contempt a dispute earlier this week complete nan series successful which nan hostages were released.

The first hostage, female Israeli worker Agam Berger, was released successful bluish Gaza. Hours later, a chaotic segment unfolded arsenic thousands of group pressed astir a handover tract successful nan confederate Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis, successful beforehand of nan destroyed location of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Footage showed Arbel Yehoud, a 29-year-old hostage, looking stunned arsenic she was led done nan crowd by militants toward waiting Red Cross vehicles.

Hundreds of militants from Hamas and nan smaller Islamic Jihad group arrived pinch a convoy successful a show of force, and thousands of group gathered to watch, immoderate from nan tilted rooftops of bombed-out buildings. Many successful nan crowd shouted and surrounded Yehoud arsenic masked militants pushed group distant and escorted her through.

Red Cross vehicles were past delayed arsenic they tried to thrust away. The Israeli service later said nan hostages were successful Israel.

The different 2 Israelis released Thursday were Yehoud and Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old man. Five Thai nationals were freed, but were not been officially identified.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned nan “shocking” scene” and called connected world mediators to forestall akin events successful nan future.

Hamas had earlier handed Berger, 20, to nan Red Cross aft parading her successful beforehand of a crowd successful nan heavy destroyed municipality exile campy of Jabaliya successful bluish Gaza. The Israeli authorities later merchandise footage of Berger hugging and crying pinch her parents.

Israeli worker Agam Berger walks adjacent to masked Islamic Jihad militants arsenic she is handed complete to nan Red Cross astatine nan Jabalya exile campy successful Gaza City, connected Jan. 30, 2025.
Israeli worker Agam Berger walks adjacent to masked Islamic Jihad militants arsenic she is handed complete to nan Red Cross astatine nan Jabalya exile campy successful Gaza City, connected Jan. 30, 2025.

AP Photo/Mohammed Hajjar via Associated Press

Berger was among 5 young, female soldiers abducted successful nan Oct. 7 attack. The different 4 were released connected Saturday.

People cheered, clapped and whistled astatine a quadrate successful Tel Aviv wherever supporters of nan hostages watched Berger’s handover connected large screens adjacent to a ample timepiece that’s counted nan days nan hostages person been successful captivity. Some held signs saying: “Agam we’re waiting for you astatine home.”

A number of overseas workers were taken captive on pinch dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers during Hamas’ attack. Twenty-three Thais were among much than 100 hostages released during a weeklong ceasefire successful November 2023. Israel says 8 Thais stay successful captivity, 2 of whom are believed to beryllium dead.

Of nan group group to beryllium released from prisons successful Israel, 30 are serving life sentences aft being convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis. Zakaria Zubeidi, a salient erstwhile militant leader and theatre director who took portion successful a melodramatic jailbreak successful 2021 earlier being rearrested days later, is besides among those group to beryllium released.

Israel said Yehoud was expected to person been freed Saturday and delayed nan opening of crossings to bluish Gaza erstwhile she was not.

The United States, Egypt and Qatar, which brokered nan ceasefire aft a twelvemonth of reliable negotiations, resolved nan conflict pinch an statement that Yehoud would beryllium released Thursday. Another 3 hostages, each men, are group to beryllium freed Saturday on pinch dozens much Palestinian prisoners.

On Monday, Israel began allowing Palestinians to return to bluish Gaza, nan astir heavy destroyed portion of nan territory, and hundreds of thousands streamed back. Many recovered only mounds of rubble wherever their homes had been.

Ceasefire holds for now but adjacent shape will beryllium harder

In nan first shape of nan ceasefire, Hamas is group to merchandise a full of 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, older adults and sick aliases wounded men, successful speech for astir 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel says Hamas has confirmed that 8 of nan hostages to beryllium released successful this shape are dead.

Palestinians person shouted nan merchandise of nan prisoners, who they wide spot arsenic heroes who person sacrificed for nan origin of ending Israel’s decades-long business of lands they want for a early state.

Israeli forces person meantime pulled backmost from astir of Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands of group to return to what remains of their homes and humanitarian groups to surge assistance.

Displaced Palestinians locomotion connected a roadworthy successful cardinal Gaza to return to their homes successful nan bluish Gaza Strip, connected Jan. 29, 2025.
Displaced Palestinians locomotion connected a roadworthy successful cardinal Gaza to return to their homes successful nan bluish Gaza Strip, connected Jan. 29, 2025.

AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana

The woody calls for Israel and Hamas to discuss a second phase successful which Hamas would merchandise nan remaining hostages and nan ceasefire would proceed indefinitely. The warfare could resume successful early March if an statement is not reached.

Israel says it is still committed to destroying Hamas, moreover aft nan militant group reasserted its norm complete Gaza wrong hours of nan truce. A cardinal far-right partner successful Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conjugation is already calling for nan warfare to resume aft nan ceasefire’s first phase.

Hamas says it won’t merchandise nan remaining hostages without an extremity to nan warfare and a afloat Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Tens of thousands killed

Hamas started nan warfare erstwhile it sent thousands of fighters storming into Israel. The militants killed immoderate 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted astir 250.

Israel’s ensuing aerial and crushed warfare among nan deadliest and astir destructive successful decades. More than 47,000 Palestinians person been killed, complete half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not opportunity really galore of nan dormant were militants.

The Israeli subject says it killed complete 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence, and that it went to awesome lengths to effort to spare civilians. It blames civilian deaths connected Hamas because its fighters run successful dense residential neighborhoods and put subject infrastructure adjacent homes, schools and mosques.

The Israeli violative has transformed full neighborhoods into mounds of grey rubble, and it’s unclear really aliases erstwhile thing will beryllium rebuilt. Around 90% of Gaza’s organization has been displaced, often aggregate times, pinch hundreds of thousands of group surviving successful squalid shelter camps aliases shuttered schools.

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Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Krauss from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Sam Mednick successful Tel Aviv, Israel contributed.

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