13 Hostages Return to Israel on First Day of Gaza Truce

GAZA/ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER (Reuters) — Hamas released 13 Israeli women and children hostages on Friday during the first day of the war’s first truce, the Red Cross said, as well as approximately a dozen Thai farm workers. The 13 Israelis include four children and family members, and five other elderly women.

As part of the exchange, 39 Palestinian women and teens were released from Israeli prisons, announced Qatar, which acted as mediator.

Nine hours after guns fell silent for the first time in seven weeks, the Red Cross said it had begun an operation to facilitate the transfer of hostages in Gaza to Israel in return for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said a total of 24 hostages were transferred out of Gaza and handed over to Egyptian authorities at the Rafah border crossing, accompanied by eight staff members of the ICRC in a four-car convoy.

Qatar said 13 Israelis had been released, some with dual nationalities, plus 10 Thais and a Filipino.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said in a social media post that 12 Thai workers had been freed, two more than the figure given by the Qataris. No reason for the discrepancy was given.

The Israeli hostages were then brought to Israel and underwent medical checks.

“The deep pain that family members separated from their loved ones feel is indescribable. We are relieved that some will be reunited after long agony,” said Fabrizio Carboni, the ICRC’s regional director for the Near and Middle East.

Under the terms of the four-day Israel-Hamas truce, 50 women and children hostages are to be released over four days, in return for 150 Palestinian women and teen Palestinian prisoners. Israel says the truce could be extended if more hostages are released at a rate of 10 per day.

A source briefed on the negotiations said the release of the Thai workers, who were all men, was unrelated to the truce negotiations and followed a separate track of talks with Hamas mediated by Egypt and Qatar.

Thai and Filipino farmworkers employed in southern Israel were among around 240 hostages dragged back to Gaza by gunmen when Hamas terrorists launched a killing spree on Oct. 7. 

Earlier on Friday, combat between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters halted for the first time in seven weeks under the truce.

No big bombings, artillery strikes or rocket attacks were reported, although Hamas and Israel both accused each other of sporadic shootings and other violations. Both said the war would resume on full throttle as soon as the truce was over.