Hamas handed over 13 Israeli hostages and 4 foreigners to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Saturday night time, Qatar’s overseas ministry mentioned, after a short disruption earlier to the deal to free captives was overcome with the mediation of Qatar and Egypt.
People take part in a present of solidarity with hostages being held within the Gaza Strip.(AP)
The Gaza hostage deal was again on monitor after a brief delay over a dispute about assist provides to the north of the besieged enclave.
“13 Israelis and 4 foreigners were received by ICRC and on their way to Rafah,” Qatar’s overseas ministry spokesman, Majed Al Ansari, mentioned on social media platform X, previously often called Twitter.
TV photographs confirmed Red Cross autos at Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
A Palestinian official accustomed to the diplomacy mentioned Hamas would proceed with the four-day truce agreed with Israel, the primary break in combating in seven weeks of conflict.
Al Ansari earlier mentioned a short delay and impediment to the hostage launch had been overcome by way of Qatari-Egyptian contacts with each side, including that 39 Palestinian civilians had been going to be launched in alternate.
Among the Israeli hostages, eight had been anticipated to be kids and 5 others ladies, Al Ansari mentioned, whereas the Palestinians to be launched from Israeli prisons would encompass 33 kids and 6 ladies.
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the hold-up over the hostage deal, Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, mentioned. About 3-1/2 hours after their name, the White House realized from the Qataris that the settlement was again on and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was transferring to gather the hostages, Watson added.
The armed wing of Hamas had earlier mentioned it was delaying Saturday’s scheduled second spherical of hostage releases till Israel met all truce circumstances, together with committing to let assist vans into northern Gaza.
Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan mentioned solely 65 of 340 assist vans that had entered Gaza since Friday had reached northern Gaza, which was “less than half of what Israel agreed on.”
Al-Qassam Brigades additionally mentioned Israel had didn’t respect the phrases of the Palestinian prisoner releases. Qadura Fares, the Palestinian commissioner for prisoners, mentioned Israel had not launched detainees by seniority, as was anticipated.
Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter, a member of Israel’s safety cupboard, advised Channel 13 News that Israel was “abiding by the deal” with Hamas that Qatar had mediated.
Israel has mentioned 50 vans with meals, water, shelter tools and medical provides had deployed to northern Gaza below UN supervision, the primary important assist supply there for the reason that begin of the conflict.
The transient dispute over the truce raised issues over the sleek implementation of the hostage deal after 13 Israeli ladies and youngsters had been freed by Hamas on Friday. Some 39 Palestinian ladies and youngsters had been launched from Israeli jails.
Israeli military spokesperson Olivier Rafowicz advised French tv Israel was strictly honouring the phrases of the truce, and mentioned the army had carried out no assaults or offensive operations in Gaza on Saturday.
TRUCE EXTENDED?
A complete of fifty hostages are to be exchanged for 150 Palestinian prisoners over 4 days below the truce, the primary halt in combating since Hamas fighters rampaged by way of southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 individuals and taking about 240 hostages.
In response to that assault, Israel has vowed to destroy the Hamas militants who run Gaza, raining bombs and shells on the enclave and launching a floor offensive within the north. To date, some 14,800 individuals, roughly 40% of them kids, have been killed, Palestinian well being authorities mentioned on Saturday.
Before the delay to the most recent hostage and prisoner alternate, Egypt, which controls the Rafah border crossing by way of which assist provides have resumed into southern Gaza, mentioned it had acquired “positive signals” from all events over a potential truce extension.
Israel has mentioned the ceasefire may very well be prolonged if Hamas continues to launch hostages at a charge of not less than 10 per day. A Palestinian supply has mentioned as much as 100 hostages may go free.
DANCING FOR JOY
The short-lived row over the truce accord’s implementation contrasted with scenes of pleasure earlier within the day as hostages had been reunited with their households.
After virtually 50 days in captivity in Gaza, nine-year-old Ohad Munder ran down a hospital hall in Israel into his father’s arms, footage launched by the hospital confirmed.
He and three different kids launched on the similar time had been in comparatively good situation, Gilat Livni, the centre’s Director of Paediatrics advised reporters.
“They shared experiences, we were up with them until late at night and it was interesting, upsetting and moving,” mentioned Livni.
“I dreamt we came home,” mentioned one other hostage, four-year-old Raz Asher, as she sat in her father’s arms on a hospital mattress after she and her mom and youthful sister had been freed. “Now the dream came true,” her father, Yoni, replied.
For Palestinians, nevertheless, pleasure on the launch of prisoners from Israeli jails had a bitter tinge to it. Israeli police had been seen raiding the house of Sawsan Bkeer on Friday shortly earlier than her daughter Marah, 24, was launched. Israeli police declined to remark.
“There is no real joy, even this little joy we feel as we wait,” mentioned Sawsan Bkeer. “We are still afraid to feel happy,” she mentioned.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com
