Doha, Qatar:
A complete of 13 Israeli hostages are to be freed “tonight” for 39 Palestinian prisoners, in a delayed second alternate agreed as a part of a short lived truce in Gaza, mediator Qatar stated Saturday.
Seven foreigners held in Gaza may also be launched, it added.
“After a delay, obstacles to release of prisoners were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian contacts with both sides, and 39 Palestinian civilians will be released tonight, while 13 Israeli hostages will leave Gaza in addition to 7 foreigners,” international ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari wrote on X, previously Twitter.
Earlier, Hamas stated it was delaying the discharge of a second group of Israeli hostages in alternate for Palestinian prisoners till Israel complies with a truce settlement.
In a second submit, Majed Al Ansari stated the Israelis to be launched from Gaza consisted of eight youngsters and 5 girls.
These to be launched from Israeli prisons comprised 33 youngsters and 6 girls, the spokesman stated.
On the primary day of a four-day humanitarian truce in Gaza, facilitated by Qatar with assist from Egypt and the US, 13 Israeli hostages had been freed by Hamas Friday in alternate for 39 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Hamas additionally freed 10 Thais and one Filipino.
A complete of fifty Israeli hostages are to be freed by Hamas in staggered releases over the four-day truce in alternate for 150 Palestinian prisoners.
It’s by far the biggest launch since Hamas gunmen entered throughout Gaza’s militarised border on October 7 and staged the deadliest assault in Israel’s historical past.
Israel says the assault killed 1,200 folks, principally civilians, and noticed round 240 extra taken hostage.
In response, Israel launched a relentless bombing marketing campaign in Gaza, which its Hamas authorities says has killed almost 15,000 folks, 1000’s of them youngsters.
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