Hamas releases another 17 hostages in exchange for prisoners after a few tense hours where the truce has faltered

Israel has confirmed the release of a new group of hostages held by Hamas on the second day of the truce. This second group, made up of 17 people, has been handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has transferred them to Egypt and subsequently taken them to the Israeli security services.

After several tense hours where the agreement has been in danger of being fulfilled, Qatar, the mediator country in the agreement between Hamas and Israel, has confirmed the release of the hostages and that Israel would release 39 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.

Among the Palestinians released from Israeli prisons there are 33 children and 6 women, while the Israeli captives in the hands of Hamas released this Saturday are 8 children and 5 women. The four foreign hostages are Thai nationals, as confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The Egyptian television channel Al Qahera News has shown live how the 17 hostages had arrived on the Egyptian side of Rafah. In the images you can see a minibus and an ambulance to cross the pass.

There, Egyptian doctors have carried out a preliminary medical checkup before handing them over to the Israeli authorities.

For its part, the Israel Defense Forces have spread the video on social networks of the moment the hostages enter Israeli territory.

Who are the freed hostages?

Among the first confirmed hostages are Sharon Avigdori, 52, and her 12-year-old daughter, Noam Avigdori; as well as brothers Noam Or, 17, and Alma Or, 13, whose mother Yonat was murdered and their father Dron and cousin remain in captivity.

Adi Shoham, 38, whose husband Tal remains captive by Hamas, was another of those released in this second group along with her children, Nave Shoham and Yahel Gani Shoham, aged 8 and 3, respectively.. Likewise, Adi's mother and the children's grandmother, Shoshan Haran, 67, was part of this group of freed hostages.

Also released were the minors Hila Rotem, 13 years old, whose mother Raya, 54, remains kidnapped; Shiri Weiss, 53, and her daughter, Noga Weiss, 18, and Emily Hand, 9. In Hand's case, her family feared that she had died, but it was later proven that she was detained in Gaza and she was finally part of this second batch of hostages.

They are all from Kibbutz Beeri, where Hamas committed one of its worst massacres on October 7, the forum for the relatives of hostages and missing persons has confirmed.

The only one in this group who does not belong to that kibbutz is Maya Regev, 21, who was kidnapped during the rave, where Hamas carried out an indiscriminate massacre of young people.

Hamas delayed the delivery of hostages

“After a delay in the implementation of the release of prisoners from both sides, obstacles were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian communications with both sides, and tonight 39 Palestinian civilians will be released in exchange for the release of 13 Israeli hostages from Gaza,” Majed al Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, said on Twitter.

The second day of the truce was on the verge of being blown up after Hamas delayed the handover of a second batch of hostages by accusing Israel of violating the terms of the agreement they reached regarding the entry of humanitarian aid and the release of Palestinian prisoners with the longest service in prisons.

After several hours of silence following this Hamas announcement, the Israeli Government has reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has carried out “an assessment of the situation with all security elements to verify that the second phase is progressing as planned.” “.

According to Hebrew media, Israel had threatened the Islamist group to resume the military offensive in Gaza if it does not release the second batch of captives before midnight.

The parties agreed this week, with the mediation of Egypt, Qatar and the United States, to exchange 50 Israeli hostages for 150 Palestinian prisoners, during four days of truce, and the entry of 200 trucks of humanitarian aid daily into the Gaza Strip.