© Reuters. Hostages who have been kidnapped by Hamas gunmen in the course of the October 7 assault on Israel, wave as they’re handed over by Hamas militants to members of the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross, as a part of a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israe
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By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell
GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – 13 Israeli and 4 Thai nationals launched from Hamas captivity arrived in Israel on Sunday and have been set to be reunited with their households as a part of an important hostage deal, which briefly risked falling aside because of a dispute over support provides.
The short-lived row over support that threatened the momentary truce to free captives was overcome with the mediation of Qatar and Egypt nevertheless it underscored the fragility of the settlement, by which a complete of fifty Israeli hostages are to be exchanged for 150 Palestinian prisoners over 4 days.
Tv footage confirmed hostages on the Egyptian aspect of the Rafah border crossing after leaving Gaza, as Hamas handed over the captives to the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross (ICRC) late on Saturday. Of the 13 Israelis launched, six have been girls and 7 have been kids and youngsters, in line with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace.
“The released hostages are on their way to hospitals in Israel, where they will reunite with their families,” the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) mentioned in a press release.
In trade for the Israeli hostages, 39 Palestinian civilians together with 33 minors have been going to be launched from Israeli prisons. Al Jazeera TV carried reside footage of what it known as a Crimson Cross bus carrying numerous cheering Palestinian prisoners launched from an Israeli jail on its method to Beitunia city, within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution.
A Palestinian official conversant in the diplomacy mentioned Hamas would proceed with the four-day truce agreed with Israel, the primary halt in preventing since Hamas fighters rampaged by southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 folks and taking about 240 hostages.
In response to that assault, Israel has vowed to destroy the Hamas militants who run Gaza, raining bombs and shells on the enclave and launching a floor offensive within the north. To this point, some 14,800 folks, roughly 40% of them kids, have been killed, Palestinian well being authorities mentioned on Saturday.
Saturday’s swap comes after one other 13 Israeli hostages together with kids and the aged have been freed by Hamas on Friday in return for 39 Palestinian girls and youth launched from Israeli prisons.
DISPUTE
The deal ran the chance of derailment earlier after the armed wing of Hamas mentioned it was delaying Saturday’s scheduled second spherical of hostage releases till Israel met all truce situations, together with committing to let support vans into northern Gaza.
Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan mentioned solely 65 of 340 support vans that had entered Gaza since Friday had reached northern Gaza, which was “less than half of what Israel agreed on.”
The IDF mentioned contained in the Gaza Strip, distribution of the help was carried out by the United Nations and the worldwide organizations.
The United Nations confirmed mentioned 61 vans of support have been delivered to northern Gaza on Saturday, the most important quantity since Oct. 7. They included meals, water and emergency medical provides.
Al-Qassam Brigades additionally mentioned Israel had did not respect the phrases of the Palestinian prisoner releases and that the Palestinian detainees weren’t raised by seniority.
Qatari overseas ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari on Saturday mentioned there been “a lot of discussion” on how and whom to prioritize for the releases and on the Palestinian aspect, a key criterion was the size of time spent in Israeli prisons.
“We are now hopeful that with the second or the third day of this pause, we would be able to hash out a lot of these details that made this day so difficult,” he instructed CNN.
Making certain that the deal didn’t collapse took a day of high-stakes diplomacy mediated by Qatar and Egypt, a course of wherein U.S. President Joe Biden additionally participated by calling Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Israel has mentioned the ceasefire could possibly be prolonged if Hamas continues to launch hostages at a price of no less than 10 per day. A Palestinian supply has mentioned as much as 100 hostages may go free.
‘HEART IS SPLIT’
Whereas Saturday turned out to be a day of high-anxiety diplomacy for Qatari and Egyptian mediators, it meant hours of nail-biting ready for the households of hostages. For some, their pleasure was overshadowed by the continued captivity of others.
“My heart is split because my son, Itay, is still in Hamas’ captivity in Gaza,” Mirit Regev, mom of Maya Regev who was amongst these launched late on Saturday, mentioned in a press release launched by Hostage and Lacking Households Discussion board, a platform set as much as symbolize the households.
Amongst these launched was nine-year-old Irish-Israeli hostage Emily Hand, who was initially thought to have been killed.
“This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family,” Eire Prime Minister Leo Varadkar mentioned in a press release. “For her family, these seven weeks have been a slow and cruel torture,” he mentioned, including that Eire was redoubling efforts to work for a everlasting ceasefire.
For Palestinians, nevertheless, pleasure on the launch of prisoners from Israeli jails had a bitter tinge. Israeli police have been seen raiding the house of Sawsan Bkeer on Friday shortly earlier than her daughter Marah, 24, was launched. Israeli police declined to remark.
“There is no real joy, even this little joy we feel as we wait,” mentioned Sawsan Bkeer. “We are still afraid to feel happy,” she mentioned.
