Hamas releases 13 Israeli hostages in first day of truce

by Brad Dress - 11/24/23 11:05 AM ET

Hamas released 13 Israeli hostages Friday in the first exchange of prisoners with Israel that will take place over the next four days.

The first group of hostages are now in Israel and headed home under protection from Israeli soldiers, according to military spokesperson Avichay Adraee.

The hostages were first released into Egypt and then transferred to hospitals in Israel for treatment of injuries, but none were serious, according to Adraee.

The hostages, who were transferred from Gaza by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), are expected to meet with their families soon if they have not already.

The 13 Israelis were freed along with 12 Thai hostages. There were conflicting reports on whether 24 hostages were released or 25 hostages, as Thailand’s prime minister said 12 Thai citizens were released but other reports indicated 10 Thai nationals were released and one Filipino citizen.

As part of the deal, Israel also released 39 Palestinian prisoners on Friday, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter, from Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari.

By the end of the four-day truce, Hamas has reportedly agreed to free a total of 50 hostages who were taken captive during a deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.

Israeli officials are expected to release 150 Palestinian prisoners.

The ICRC said in a release that emergency workers are assisting with the transfer of hostages in Gaza and Palestinians held in the West Bank.

The ICRC will also assist with the delivery of emergency aid into Gaza, including medical supplies and fuel to help keep operations running at hospitals across the coastal strip.

The temporary truce was mediated by Qatar and was the result of intense negotiations between Egypt, the U.S., Hamas and Israel.

Israel and Hamas are expected to resume fighting once the truce ends as Israeli officials have vowed to eradicate the Palestinian militant group.

Here is the list of the names of the Israeli hostages freed by Hamas, along with their ages, according to Israel’s office of the prime minister.