Following a lengthy delay, a second group of Hamas-held hostages were freed following the release of an initial group of 24 hostages on Friday.
A second group of 17 hostages who had been held captive in Gaza since being kidnapped by Hamas militants on Israel were released Saturday after an hours-long delay as part of the short-term cease-fire agreement brokered by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt.
There were 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals released, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. There were seven Israeli children ranging in age from 3 to 16, and six Israeli women ranging in age from 18 to 67 released, the office announced.
Their release came after an Saturday when Hamas accused Israel of not complying with the cease-fire’s terms.
One U.S. source told CBS News that the delay was over the pace of aid coming into Gaza.
« This is putting the deal in danger and we have spoken to mediators about that, » Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official said in Beirut, the Associated Press reported.
However, Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, said in a statement that « obstacles were overcome » with the help of Qatari and Egyptian mediators, and Hamas finally agreed to release the hostages.
Israeli Defense Forces confirmed the hostages had been freed in a statement Saturday night, saying that « after undergoing an initial medical assessment » the hostages « will continue to be accompanied by IDF soldiers as they make their way to Israeli hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families. »
In exchange, another 39 Palestinians — 33 children and six women — who were being jailed in Israel will also be released Saturday, Al-Ansari disclosed.
All this of an initial group of 24 Hamas-held hostages on Friday — the first day of the cease-fire — consisting of 13 Israelis, 10 Thai nationals and a Filipino citizen. The released Israelis ranged in age from 2 to 85 and included several mothers and four children, the Israeli government said. Four hostages, and two Israelis, were released by Hamas last month.
Israeli intelligence has been receiving a list of the names of the hostages who are expected to be released in each group prior to their handover. The families of those hostages released in Saturday’s second group were given early notification on Friday night, Netanyahu’s office said.
The cease-fire, which took effect Friday morning after frantic diplomatic efforts, calls for a pause in the fighting and the release of some 50 Hamas-held hostages, all women and children, over the course of four days. In exchange, 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israel would also be released.
