2023-11-26 00:59:07
Mohammed Abed/AFP
Hamas releases group of hostages
After seven hours of delay, Hamas released a group of 19 prisoners, as part of the ceasefire agreement with the Israeli government, this Saturday (25), eight children and five Israeli women, in addition to seven foreigners who had no their nationalities revealed.
The release of the group occurred after mediation by the Qatari government, which intervened after the Palestinian terrorist group stated that Israel had not fulfilled its part of the terms of the truce agreement, which has been in force since last Friday (24), from according to information from the French news agency, AFP.
The Palestinian group also released the list of 39 prisoners who will be released in exchange, six women and 33 children and teenagers.
The delay occurred after al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, stated in a statement on Telegram that Israel did not allow humanitarian aid trucks to enter the north of the Gaza Strip. The group also questioned the selection criteria for the release of Palestinian hostages.
According to Hamas, only 65 of the 340 aid trucks that entered Gaza since Friday reached their destination, less than half of what was agreed.
Israel even threatened to “resume war operations” if Hamas did not comply with the agreement and release the prisoners by midnight on Saturday (7pm Brasília time). The Israeli government also claimed that the enclave occurred due to the small size of the Kerem Shalom crossing, on the border between Israel, Gaza and Egypt, according to the Israeli newspaper Ynet.
After hours of waiting, Qatar and Egypt mediated negotiations so that the hostages could be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“After a delay in implementing the release of prisoners on both sides, obstacles have been overcome through communications between Qatar and Egypt with both sides, and tonight 39 Palestinian civilians will be released in exchange for the release of 13 Israeli detainees. from Gaza, in addition to seven foreigners outside the context of the agreement,” said Qatari spokesman Majed al-Ansari.
On Friday, Hamas had already released a group of 13 Israeli prisoners and 10 Thais and a Filipino, who were not part of the initial agreement, to the ICRC to be taken to Israel through Egypt. The state of Israel, in turn, released a group of 39 Palestinian prisoners, which included women, children and teenagers.
The four-day truce agreement, reached on Wednesday (22), provides for the release of 50 Israeli prisoners, from a group of 200 who are being held in Gaza, and 150 Palestinians who are imprisoned in Israel. The temporary ceasefire also provides for the release of humanitarian aid and fuel into Gaza, which had been prevented by Israel.
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