Twelve More Hostages Released in Gaza
According to the Red Cross and the Israel Defense Forces, twelve more hostages who were held in Gaza have been released. This development comes after a humanitarian pause in fighting between Hamas and Israel was extended for an additional 48 hours.
The Red Cross representatives have transferred the twelve hostages to Egypt, as confirmed by the IDF.
Prisoner Exchange
In return for the release of the twelve hostages, thirty Palestinians have been released from Israeli prisons. This includes fifteen minors and fifteen women, as stated by Dr. Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement.
Previous Releases
This announcement follows the release of dozens of Israeli hostages and over 100 Palestinian prisoners. Notably, among those released was four-year-old Abigail Mor Edan, the first American hostage released by Hamas. Abigail Mor Edan is also the youngest American ever held hostage.
On Monday, it was announced that a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, which began on Friday and was initially set to last four days, has been extended for an additional two days. This cease-fire is part of a truce deal between Israel and Hamas, negotiated by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt. The extension hinged on Hamas' promise to release at least 50 women and children who were taken captive in Israel on Oct. 7, and Israel's promise to release at least 150 Palestinian women and children who were detained in Israeli prisons. Israel has also agreed to adhere to a cease-fire agreement in Gaza.
This temporary pause in fighting is the first since Israel declared war on Hamas following the deadly rampage on Oct. 7. Israeli officials claim that this rampage resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people. In the aftermath of the rampage, Hamas kidnapped approximately 240 people from Israel and held them captive in Gaza, according to the officials.
Qatar, the mediating country, announced on Monday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the cease-fire for an additional 48 hours. This extension was made before the original deal was set to expire at 7 a.m. local time on Tuesday morning. Israel had previously expressed its willingness to extend the cease-fire if Hamas released more hostages. Israel had stated that it would honor an additional day of the cease-fire for every 10 hostages released by Hamas.
During a news briefing on Monday, it was confirmed that Hamas has agreed to release 20 additional hostages during the two-day extension. Efforts are also being made to further extend the cease-fire.
The Israeli Government Considers Releasing More Palestinian Prisoners
The Israeli government is considering the release of an additional 50 Palestinian prisoners as part of ongoing exchanges. According to spokesperson Eylon Levy, the current pause in hostage releases could be extended for another five days, with a three-for-one swap. This means that for every hostage released by Hamas, three Palestinian prisoners would be released from Israel.
Levy stated, "Once Hamas stops returning hostages, we will resume the military pressure on Hamas until it releases more of them."
Hamas Interested in Negotiating
Since Friday, Hamas has released women and children hostages. The group, considered a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel, expressed interest in negotiating another deal to extend the cease-fire. This deal would also involve the release of male hostages and abducted Israeli soldiers.
CIA Director Involved in Discussions
CIA Director William Burns is reported to be in Doha for meetings related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, including discussions about the hostages. A U.S. official confirmed this information to CBS News.
Remaining Hostages
Israel claims that approximately 170 people are still being held captive in Gaza, although Hamas argues that some of them are being held by other groups. The Biden administration has pledged to work towards securing more extensions to the cease-fire until all the hostages are released.
