Hamas releases two Israeli hostages
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is extended. Two women are freed this afternoon. A further ten hostages are to leave the Gaza Strip today.
Following the one-day extension of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas has released two more Israeli hostages. According to the Israeli army, the two women were taken in the afternoon. According to a Hamas representative, a total of ten Israeli hostages were to be released in the course of the day. Meanwhile, Hamas claimed responsibility for an attack in Jerusalem in which at least three people were killed, according to Israeli sources.
According to information from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the two freed hostages is French dual national Mia Shem, who was abducted at the music festival in the Negev Desert on October 7. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of his "great joy" at the release. Hamas had published a video of the 21-year-old in mid-October, in which she was seen injured in the arm. The second hostage to be released is 40-year-old Amit Soussana.
According to Israeli authorities, the other hostages whose release was planned were to be handed over to the Red Cross "in the coming hours". The release of a further 30 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails was also planned, as in previous days.
Ceasefire ends Friday at 6 a.m. local time
The further releases had become possible after the Israeli army and Hamas announced an extension of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that had been in place since last Friday - shortly before it was due to expire. Hamas, Israel and the mediating state of Qatar spoke of a one-day extension, meaning that the ceasefire would expire without further extension on Friday morning at 7.00 a.m. (local time, 6.00 CET).
Since the ceasefire came into force last Friday, a total of 72 Israeli women and children and around 30 other foreign hostages, mainly migrant workers from Thailand, have been released by Hamas. In return, Israel has so far released 210 Palestinian prisoners from its jails.
During its brutal attack on Israel on October 7, Hamas abducted around 240 people in the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of fighters from the militia, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the USA and the EU, invaded Israel and, according to Israeli figures, killed around 1,200 people.
After the extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the focus shifted to the release of hostages. Hamas, responsible for the attack in Jerusalem, released two Israeli women, including French national Mia Shem. Despite the attacks and hostage-taking by Hamas in Gaza, negotiations for further releases were ongoing, involving the Red Cross and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Source: www.ntv.de
