MOSCOW, Nov 26 Hamas and Israel on Sunday night carried out a second exchange of hostages and prisoners.
The deal was on the verge of collapse on Saturday after the Palestinian movement accused Tel Aviv of blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid to the northern Gaza Strip. Through the efforts of mediators, the crisis was overcome, and Qatar announced that 13 Israeli hostages, 39 Palestinian prisoners, as well as seven foreigners, whom Hamas would release outside the framework of the deal, would be released.
Shortly after midnight Moscow time, Hamas's militant wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said it had handed over 13 Israeli hostages and seven foreigners to the Red Cross. They were sent to the Rafah checkpoint on the border of the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
About an hour later, the IDF announced that the former hostages had arrived in the Jewish state: among the 13 Israelis were seven children and teenagers. Four Thai citizens were also taken from the enclave. Hamas said it released the residents of that country “in response to the efforts of the Turkish president.” There is still no clarity about the fate of three more foreigners.
Following this, it became known that Israel had also released the second group of Palestinian prisoners from prison. The buses carrying them arrived in the West Bank city of Beituniya around 2:30. Al Jazeera TV channel broadcast live their meeting in the city. The footage shows hundreds of people crowding the streets. Among them, according to the channel, were relatives of those released.
Information about the number and composition of the second group of those released from Israeli prisons has not yet appeared on either side.
Exchange of Hostages and Prisoners On Wednesday it became known that Israel and Hamas, through the mediation of Qatar, reached the first large-scale agreement since the conflict escalated on October 7: the parties agreed to cease hostilities for four days to exchange dozens of each other's hostages and detainees.
The truce began on Friday morning. According to the terms of the deal, it can last a maximum of ten days. As part of the agreement, 200 trucks with humanitarian aid and four with fuel and household gas will enter the Gaza Strip daily.
In addition, during this time, up to 100 Israeli hostages could be released in two stages in exchange for 300 Palestinian prisoners. In the first four days it is expected to return 50 prisoners. Hamas has already released 13 hostages, including women and children. Israel, in turn, released 39 Palestinian prisoners, including 24 women.
It is known that in total there are more than 200 Israeli prisoners in the hands of Hamas.