Israeli hostages on their way to freedom
After a war of nerves lasting several hours, the radical Islamic group Hamas hands over a second group of hostages to the Red Cross. According to Qatari sources, 13 Israeli and several foreign hostages are on their way to the Egyptian border. The Israeli army confirms the release.
The Islamist Hamas has handed over a group of hostages in the Gaza Strip to employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This was announced in the evening by both the terrorist organization and the Israeli military. According to Hamas, 13 Israelis and seven foreign nationals were handed over. Confirmation from the Red Cross was still pending.
Just a few hours before the hostages were released, Hamas had unexpectedly halted a handover at the last minute. The reason given by the terrorist organization was that, in its view, Israel had violated part of the hostage deal. After Qatar intervened, Hamas relented late in the evening.
In return, 39 Palestinian prisoners were to be released from Israeli prisons in the evening. According to Hamas, they include six women and 33 young men under the age of 19.
Despite the previous halt, Hamas eventually handed over the hostages, including 13 Israelis, to the Red Cross, marking an end to another round of conflicts between Israel and Hamas. This decision came following Qatari mediation and Israel's release of 39 Palestinian prisoners.
Source: www.ntv.de
