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 individuals into captivity from Israel after Hamas’s October 7 assault. Below the deal for a four-day truce, Hamas is to launch 50 captives in exchange for the discharge of 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel and a pause in combating. Nevertheless, greater than these numbers could be 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, 25 captives have been freed by Hamas on Friday. Whereas initially, the plan was for Hamas to launch 13 captives — ladies and youngsters — it will definitely additionally launched 12 Thai captives as well as.
The Prime Minister of Thailand introduced the discharge of the Thai nationals on X.
ได้รับการยืนยันจากฝ่ายความมั่นคงและกระทรวงต่างประเทศว่า มีตัวประกันชาวไทย 12 คนได้ถูกปล่อยตัวออกมาแล้วขณะนี้เจ้าหน้าที่สถานทูตกำลังไปรับตัวอีก 1 ชั่วโมงน่าจะทราบชื่อและรายละเอียดต่างๆครับกรุณาคอยติดตาม
— Srettha Thavisin (@Thavisin) November 24, 2023
All 25 captives have been transferred by Hamas to representatives of the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson 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 12 Thai captives have been launched simply earlier than 4:00pm native time (14:00 GMT).
About half an hour later, the 13 different captives have been launched, Hamas officers informed AFP.
On the Egyptian aspect of the border, the freed Israeli captives met representatives of the Shin Wager, Israel’s home intelligence company, in accordance with 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 will even reunite with their households, the Israeli military mentioned earlier on Friday.
Which captives can be launched?
The 12 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 acquired an preliminary listing of the 13 others to be freed and was in touch with their households.
Nevertheless, 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 shops to not publish names accessed by means of any leaks.
Who could be launched subsequent?
The 13 captives who have been initially to be launched at this time are among the many 50 that Hamas has dedicated to liberating over 4 days underneath the truce settlement.
However with the 12 Thai captives additionally being launched, the overall variety of these whom Hamas frees throughout the truce is anticipated to exceed 50.
Three US residents and eight French residents are amongst those that may very well be freed within the later batches of launched captives throughout the truce, in accordance with officers from the 2 nations. The three American captives embrace two ladies and a three-year-old lady whose mother and father have been killed within the preliminary Hamas assault.
Ghazi Hamad, member of Hamas’s political bureau, informed 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 change with all 7,200 Palestinians who’re imprisoned.
What number of captives does Hamas have and who’re they?
Palestinian fighters took 237 individuals into captivity throughout its Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, in accordance with 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 through cellphone 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 navy bases in Israel on October 7.
Not all captives are Israeli. At the very least half are international and twin nationals hailing from roughly 40 nations together with the US, Thailand, United Kingdom, France, Argentina, Germany, Chile, Spain and Portugal, in accordance with the Israeli authorities.
At the very least 33 captives are kids, together with preschoolers and a 10-month-old child, in accordance with Israel. They’ve additionally reported that others within the group embrace troopers, the aged, and folks 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 elderly women have been returned to Israel on “humanitarian causes and poor well being grounds”, following mediation led by Egypt and Qatar.
Israel’s navy has mentioned that it rescued one abducted soldier, Ori Megidish, and found the body 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 navy additionally mentioned it recovered the physique of a civilian captive, Yehudit Weiss, close to al-Shifa.
On Tuesday, the PIJ mentioned one aged lady, 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.