After weeks of negotiations, Hamas on Friday launched the primary batch of captives it had agreed to let loose underneath a truce deal with Israel that got here into impact within the morning.
Fighters took 237 folks into captivity from Israel after Hamas’s October 7 assault. Underneath the deal for a four-day truce, Hamas is to launch 50 captives in trade for the discharge of 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel and a pause in preventing. Nonetheless, greater than these numbers is perhaps launched, officers indicated.
The deal was reached, and introduced by Qatar, on Wednesday, whereas the truce formally began at 7:00am native time (5:00 GMT) on Friday.
Here’s what we all know concerning the captives launched by Hamas and people who are nonetheless in Gaza.
What number of captives have been launched on Friday?
In all, 24 captives have been freed by Hamas on Friday. Whereas initially, the plan was for Hamas to launch 13 Israeli captives — ladies and kids — it will definitely freed 24 folks, together with 10 Thai nationals.
The Prime Minister of Thailand introduced the discharge of 12 Thai residents on X.
ได้รับการยืนยันจากฝ่ายความมั่นคงและกระทรวงต่างประเทศว่า มีตัวประกันชาวไทย 12 คนได้ถูกปล่อยตัวออกมาแล้วขณะนี้เจ้าหน้าที่สถานทูตกำลังไปรับตัวอีก 1 ชั่วโมงน่าจะทราบชื่อและรายละเอียดต่างๆครับกรุณาคอยติดตาม
— Srettha Thavisin (@Thavisin) November 24, 2023
However later within the night, the overseas ministry of Qatar — which has led the negotiations which have culminated within the truce and trade of captives and prisoners — mentioned the composition of the freed captives was:
- 13 Israelis, together with some with twin nationalities
- 10 Thai nationals
- 1 Filipino
All 24 captives have been transferred by Hamas to representatives of the Worldwide Committee of the Pink Cross, who crossed them over from Gaza into Egypt by means of the Rafah crossing.
The captives have been handed over to Egyptian authorities.
At what time have been they launched?
The primary launch experiences recommend Thai captives have been freed simply earlier than 4:00pm native time (14:00 GMT).
About half an hour later, the opposite captives have been launched, Hamas officers advised AFP.
On the Egyptian facet of the border, the freed Israeli captives met representatives of the Shin Wager, Israel’s home intelligence company, based on the Israel Broadcasting Authority.
Medical employees, troopers and helicopters are additionally ready for them. The launched captives can be taken in helicopters to hospitals in Tel Aviv for medical and psychological assessments.
On the hospitals, captives can even reunite with their households, the Israeli military mentioned earlier on Friday.
Which captives have been launched?
The Thai captives who have been freed on Friday are amongst 23 who have been captured by Palestinian fighters throughout their assault on southern Israel on October 7.
On Thursday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Workplace confirmed that it obtained an preliminary listing of those that can be freed and was involved with their households.
Nonetheless, kinfolk of the primary group haven’t commented on the discharge. The Israeli authorities has reportedly warned them to not converse with the media and requested information retailers to not publish names accessed by means of any leaks.
Who is perhaps launched subsequent?
The captives who have been initially to be launched at the moment are among the many 50 that Hamas has dedicated to liberating over 4 days underneath the truce settlement.
However with the ten Thai captives and one Filipino additionally being launched, the full variety of these whom Hamas frees through the truce is predicted to exceed 50.
Three US residents and eight French residents are amongst those that may very well be freed through the truce, based on officers from the 2 international locations. The three American captives embody two ladies and a three-year-old woman whose dad and mom have been killed within the preliminary Hamas assault. It’s unclear if any of the American or French captives have been amongst these launched on Friday.
Ghazi Hamad, member of Hamas’s political bureau, advised Al Jazeera that they’re targeted on releasing civilians for now. Hamad added {that a} complete launch of captives, together with Israeli troopers, would require an trade with all 7,200 Palestinians who’re imprisoned.
What number of captives does Hamas have and who’re they?
Palestinian fighters took 237 folks into captivity throughout its Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, based on Israel, though not all of them are at present with Hamas.
Different resistance teams within the Gaza Strip, such because the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, are additionally holding some captives. The finalisation of the truce deal concerned the settlement of all resistance brigades by way of telephone name, mentioned Hamas previous to the deal’s announcement.
Hamas fighters kidnapped the captives throughout raids on an outside music pageant, collective farms referred to as kibbutzim, and army bases in Israel on October 7.
Not all captives are Israeli. A minimum of half are overseas and twin nationals hailing from roughly 40 international locations together with the US, Thailand, United Kingdom, France, Argentina, Germany, Chile, Spain and Portugal, based on the Israeli authorities.
A minimum of 33 captives are kids, together with preschoolers and a 10-month-old child, based on Israel. They’ve additionally reported that others within the group embody troopers, the aged, and other people with disabilities.
Hamas has mentioned that the captives are housed in “secure locations and tunnels”. Freed captives have reported sleeping on mattresses on flooring of tunnels and being offered medical care.
Have any captives been launched from Gaza?
Hamas has beforehand launched 4 captives that have been being held in Gaza.
The first pair of captives freed was an American mother-daughter duo on October 20, following Qatari meditation.
Three days later, two aged ladies have been returned to Israel on “humanitarian causes and poor well being grounds”, following mediation led by Egypt and Qatar.
Israel’s army has mentioned that it rescued one kidnapped soldier, Ori Megidish, and discovered the physique of one other close to al-Shifa Hospital. Hamas has mentioned that Israeli air assaults have killed 50 captives in Gaza, together with their military conscript, Noa Marciano, close to the hospital.
On November 16, Israel’s army additionally mentioned it recovered the physique of a civilian captive, Yehudit Weiss, close to al-Shifa.
On Tuesday, the PIJ mentioned one aged girl, Hanna Katzir, died in captivity owing to Israel “stalling” her launch after the group provided to return her for humanitarian causes. Israel has not responded to those claims.
