Israel released 30 Palestinian women and children imprisoned in local jails after the Islamist group Hamas freed 16 hostages in Gazaon the sixth day of the pact to exchange hostages for prisoners in parallel to a temporary ceasefire.
The Israel Prison Service confirmed the release of 30 Palestinian prisoners who were released from Ofer prison, the Jerusalem detention center, Ayalon prison and Damon prison.
“The Prison Service concludes the sixth round of prisoners within the framework of the operation to return the kidnapped to their homes,” a spokesperson for the agency announced in a statement.
The organization “will continue to the extent necessary with the plan” and “work in full cooperation with all security forces to carry out the operation professionally,” he added.
American woman among freed
Hamas released 16 hostages overnight in the latest exchange of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel under the ongoing Gaza truce, as international mediators rushed to seal another extension to allow new exchanges and prolong the cessation of Israel’s air and ground offensive.
The Israeli military said a group of 10 Israeli women and children and four Thai citizens had been freed by Hamas and left Gaza. Previously, Hamas freed two Russian-Israeli women in a separate release. In exchange, Israel would release 30 Palestinian prisoners.
Among the 10 hostages exchanged by the Palestinian prisoners was Liat Atzili, 49 years old.with dual American-Israeli nationality.
The other Israeli hostages released were: Gali Tarshanksy, 13, Ofir Engel, 17, Raaya Rotem, 54, Raz Ben Ami, 57, Yarden Roman, 36, 16-year-old Amit Shani, 18 years, Itay Regev, 18, and Stela Yanai, 40 years old. The tenth Israeli released has not been identified.
Hamas has freed a total of 102 hostages. 210 Palestinians have been released from Israeli prisons
Negotiators were working until the last minute to agree on the details of a new extension of the truce beyond the early Thursday deadline.as international pressure mounts for the ceasefire to continue as long as possible after nearly eight weeks of Israeli bombing and a ground campaign in Gaza that has killed thousands of Palestinians, uprooted three-quarters of the population of 2.3 million and caused a humanitarian crisis.
Israel has welcomed the release of dozens of hostages in recent days and says it will maintain the truce if Hamas continues to release captives.
Even so, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that Israel will resume its campaign to eliminate Hamaswho has ruled Gaza for 16 years and orchestrated the deadly attack on Israel that sparked the war.
This latest episode occurs just when the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, arrived in Tel Aviv to hold discussions with Israeli leaders about extending the truce with Hamas and the entry of more humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
“We want this pause to be extended, because it has allowed us to free hostages and work on humanitarian assistance for those who desperately need it,” Blinken said in Brussels before embarking on his third regional tour and sixth visit to Israel since it began on October 7. of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
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– Hamas claims that a baby, his brother and his mother held hostage died in an Israeli attack
– The United States pressures Israel to maintain humanitarian aid in Gaza and reduce Palestinian displacement