HAMAS Releases 24 Hostages on First Day of Pause in Gaza Fighting
As the world continues to watch the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, a glimmer of hope emerged on Friday as HAMAS, the militant terrorist group in control of Gaza, released 24 hostages on the first day of a four-day pause in fighting.
Among the released were 13 Israeli women and children, 10 Thai nationals, and one Filipino worker. These individuals had been held captive since the horrific attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, where one in every four residents was killed or abducted.
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Thanks to sensitive negotiations mediated by Qatar and involving the United States, HAMAS agreed to release at least 50 women and children during the pause in fighting. In return, Israel is set to release 150 Palestinians from its prisons, primarily women and children.
We know Hamas are holding at least 70-80 women and children and that we can get all of them," an Israeli official told reporters on Wednesday. The Israeli officials said on Wednesday Israel believes other factions in Gaza are holding at least some of the children, but they are ready to give Hamas incentives to locate all of them.
President Biden has praised the progress made on the first day of the pause, saying it is just the beginning of a long journey of healing for those who have been held captive. He also expressed hope that additional American hostages, including two women and a toddler, will be released soon.
The United Nations has started delivering aid and supplies to Gaza, but humanitarian groups warn that a temporary pause in fighting is not enough to address the catastrophic levels of need in the region.
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The Israeli government has stated its commitment to continuing the war until all hostages are released and Hamas is destroyed. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has even predicted that the fighting could continue for one to two months.