DOHA: Qatar has confirmed that 13 Israeli captives and four foreign nationals have been handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Arab media reported on Saturday.
Majed al-Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a post on his social media account that 13 Israelis captives and four foreign citizens have been handed over to the ICRC.
Earlier, the Arab media reported that Hamas’s armed wing said that it has handed over 13 Israeli and several foreign citizens to the ICRC. Egyptian state-linked television reported that a group of 13 Israeli and 4 Thai captives released by Hamas crossed into Egypt after their release.
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The release of the captives was the 2nd under the terms of a ceasefire deal pausing the war in Gaza, and had been delayed earlier following Hamas alleged Israel of violating the deal.
Earlier, Hamas stated that it was delaying the release of a second batch of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners until Israel obeys with a truce deal. Hamas, the Palestinian resistance group, announced a delay in the release of a second group of Israeli hostages, citing Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement. Hamas stated on Saturday evening that the release would be postponed until Israel adheres to the terms of the temporary truce, particularly regarding the entry of relief supplies into the northern Gaza Strip.
Earlier, Qatar said that 39 Palestinians and 13 Israeli hostages will be freed in addition to 7 foreign nationals following Hamas delayed the handover, alleging Israel of violating the terms of the ceasefire agreement, Arab media reported.
Spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said “the difficulties were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian” mediation and the exchange of captives is likely to take place on Saturday night”. In a statement via his social media account, he said, “Obstacles to free of prisoners were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian contacts with both sides”.
بعد تأخر في تنفيذ الإفراج عن الأسرى من الجانبين، تم تذليل العقبات عبر الاتصالات القطرية المصرية مع الجانبين وسيتم الإفراج الليلة عن ٣٩ من المدنيين الفلسطينيين في مقابل خروج ١٣ من المحتجزين الإسرائيليين من غزة بالإضافة إلى ٧ من الأجانب خارج إطار الاتفاق.
— د. ماجد محمد الأنصاري Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) November 25, 2023
In a second post, Majed Al Ansari stated the Israelis to be freed from the Gaza Strip consisted of five women and eight children. The spokesman maintained that those to be freed from Israeli jails comprised 6 women and 33 children.
On the first day of a four-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, 13 Israeli captives were released by Hamas Friday in exchange for 39 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Hamas also released ten Thais and one Filipino.
A total of 50 Israeli captives are to be released by Hamas over the four-day ceasefire in exchange for 150 Palestinians. Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip, which has killed about 15,000 people mostly women and children.
