On November 26th, Israel and the Hamas militant group reached an agreement to free 50 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. On that following Sunday, the second release of hostages occurred when thirteen Israelis and four Thai nationals returned to Israel after being in captivity. The hostages were transported across the Rafah border crossing and eventually made their way to hospitals in Israel to reunite with their families. Also as part of the exchange, 39 Palestinians were released from two Israeli prisons.
Negotiations between Egypt and Qatar became crucial in preventing the truce from collapsing, as a dispute emerged over aid delivery to Gaza. The United Nations and other international organizations distribute aid within the Gaza Strip, but Hamas had delayed further releases until Israel met all truce conditions.
It was a day of high-stakes diplomacy, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, and eventually supported by U.S. President Joe Biden. The effort was meant to save the deal, as Hamas had indicated that only 65 of the 340 aid trucks had reached northern Gaza. Amidst this, a key criterion for releasing Palestinian hostages was the length of time they had spent in Israeli prisons. In fact, Hamas’s armed wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed that Israel had failed to respect the terms for the release of the prisoners.
The families of the hostages experienced emotional highs and lows throughout this ordeal. Although they were overjoyed to embrace their loved ones again, the release of some hostages was a reminder that many others remained in captivity. This moment of relief was tinged with bitterness for the Palestinians, as they hoped for an end to the conflict. While there were dozens more hostages still to be released, there was hope that the ceasefire would be extended if Hamas continued to release the hostages.