11 Released Israeli Hostages On Way To Israel
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
JERUSALEM/GAZA (Worthy News) – Israel’s military said Monday that 11 hostages, including two mothers and nine children, were en route to Israel after being released by Hamas, seen as a terrorist group by the West.
“Based on information that was received from the Red Cross, 11 hostages are currently on their way to Israeli territory,” after 51 days in captivity, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
In exchange, Hamas said it received the list of names of prisoners to be released from Israeli prisons on Monday. The list includes three female prisoners whom it named and another 30 minors.
Hamas also announced Monday that it is willing to negotiate over the release of captive Israeli soldiers but confirmed this is not yet included in discussions. The group warned that “different conditions” would be attached to the release of soldiers than to freeing civilians.
It came as mediator Qatar confirmed that Israel and Hamas agreed to a two-day extension to the current four-day truce, which saw hostages freed and Palestinian prisoners released.
Israel had reportedly offered a day’s pause in fighting for every 10 additional hostages released from Gaza.
DOZENS FREED
As part of the Israel-Hamas deal, 39 Israeli hostages in Gaza have been released so far, with 117 Palestinians freed from Israeli jails.
Those freed were among about 240 people abducted by Hamas on October 7 when it entered Israel and also killed nearly 1,200 people, including babies and toddlers.
Israel has pledged to destroy Hamas following the worst atrocity in Israel’s recent history. Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant met with IDF soldiers in the Gaza Strip on Monday, where he vowed that the fighting would resume once the temporary ceasefire is over.
Gallant told the soldiers that while they use this time to rest and research, “the enemy is doing the same thing.”
However, “the enemy will first meet the bombs of the airforce, then the shells of the tanks and artillery, and then the tracks of the bulldozer, and then finally the shooting of the infantry. We will fight all over the Strip.”
Yet several of Israel’s Western allies and others have urged Israel to further extend a ceasefire amid concerns that the Israel-Hamas war could lead to a broader armed conflict engulfing the Middle East and beyond.
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