Hamas freed three Israeli and five Thai hostages in Gaza on Thursday and Israel began releasing 110 Palestinian prisoners after delaying the process in anger at the swarming crowds at one of the hostage handover points.
JERUSALEM: Buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners arrived to cheers in the occupied West Bank on Thursday (Jan 30), after chaos during the release by Gaza militants of three Israeli hostages and
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Hamas freed three Israeli and five Thai hostages in Gaza on Thursday, and Israel began releasing 110 Palestinian prisoners after delaying the process in anger at the swarming crowds at one of the hostage handover points.
Steve Witkoff, the U.S.’s new Middle East envoy, has joined Israelis in Tel Aviv who have gathered to watch the hostage releases in what has become known as “Hostage Square,” according to images broadcast on Israeli television.
The deal hit its first major complication when Israel said a female civilian hostage named Arbel Yahoud was supposed to be released but wasn't.
Israel has released 110 Palestinian prisoners after delaying the process in anger at the swarming crowds at a hostage handover point earlier today.
Thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank city of Ramallah celebrated the arrival of buses carrying dozens of prisoners released as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Israel said it released a total of 200 prisoners after Hamas freed four young, female Israeli soldiers.
Israel delayed the release of 110 Palestinian prisoners for several hours after broadcast images showed crowds jostling and cheering in Gaza as Israeli and Thai hostages were handed over to the Red Cross earlier that day.
Israel’s military says it won’t complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by Sunday as outlined in its ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah militants.
Hamas released eight hostages on Thursday — five Thai farm workers and three dual German-Israeli nationals — in exchange for 110 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.