The deal between Israel and Hamas has worked: the first group of hostages has been released

The newspaper quoted an Israeli official as saying the freed hostages were in ambulances en route from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza to the Rafah crossing into Israel. The families of the hostages are reportedly being sent to hospitals where they are all expected to be reunited.

Israeli television channels reported that hostages held by Hamas have now been handed over to the Egyptians. The released captives were reported to have headed to the Egyptian border crossing on Friday afternoon.

According to media reports, the hostages will be transported from Egypt by helicopter to the Hatzerim airbase in southern Israel. This base is located about 50 kilometers east of Gaza, near the Israeli city of Beersheba.

The released captives were then sent to five different hospitals across the country for medical care as needed, Israeli officials said.

The freed hostages are just a small group of about 240 people held in Gaza since October 7, when 3,000 militants led by Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel.

An Israeli government spokesman described the release of the first batch of hostages as “a moment of hope for Israeli society.” But Eilon Levy stressed it was also a moment of “extreme anxiety,” saying authorities “know nothing” about the condition of the hostages: “We don’t know anything about their physical condition, we don’t know anything about their emotional state, their psychological condition. And they don’t know anything about what happened to their families.” He stressed that Israel insists on “freeing everyone.” “We are going to put pressure on Hamas so that no one is left behind,” he said.

Sky News spoke to a father whose son is being held by Hamas. Jonathan Dekel-Chen’s son, who was captured by militants, is not expected to be among those released on Friday. However, the man said he was “overjoyed” at the news of the hostage deal. He said about 80 hostages were taken from his kibbutz during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, meaning it was “very likely” that members of his community would be among those freed. But, he said, the ultimate goal should be the release of all hostages being held.

“The Israeli government and the Israeli army must fulfill their moral duty to return all hostages home by any means possible and necessary,” said Jonathan Dekel-Chen.

Also, as The Guardian writes, a number of foreign prisoners have been released. Thai Prime Minister Sretta Taweesin said 12 Thai hostages had been released. In a message posted on social media, he writes: “The Department of Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have confirmed that 12 Thai hostages have already been released. Embassy officials are on their way to pick them up in an hour. They should know their names and details. Please stay tuned for updates.”

As recently as Thursday afternoon, a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman said the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas would take effect on Friday at 7 a.m. local time, and the first group of 13 Israeli hostages would be released on Friday at 4 p.m.

According to the Times of Israel, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Israel had received an “initial” list of names of abductees expected to be released, and that the families of those expected to return on Friday had been notified, as had relatives of those hostages , whose names did not appear on the list.

Hamas’ military wing also said the ceasefire would take effect Friday morning and last four days. “In four days, 50 hostages will be released,” said representatives of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, confirming information from Israel that in exchange for each Israeli hostage, three Palestinian prisoners would be released from prison (in total it is expected release 150 Palestinian prisoners).

Let us recall that the deal brokered by Qatar and the United States provides for the release within four days of the Hamas movement of 50 Israeli women and children taken hostage by militants on October 7 – in exchange for a lull in hostilities during these four days and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners held Israel (all of them are women or minors).

Hamas released the names of Palestinian prisoners from the first batch of prisoners released from Israeli prisons on Friday. There are 39 names on the list – 24 women and 15 minors. Most of the people on the list are from the occupied West Bank. The prisoners are being transferred from two prisons – Damon and Megiddo, both southeast of Haifa – and taken to Ofer prison, south of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, for final checks by the Red Cross, an Israeli official told CNN on Thursday.

The release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages held by Hamas is “a high price that we have had to pay”, former Israeli Justice and Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked told Sky News. She said the exchange, which is part of the truce agreement, “is not a good deal, but it is what we have” to return detained women and children. The focus is on returning as many hostages as possible, the ex-minister said, warning they remain in danger.

The deal between Israel and Hamas also ensures the supply of fuel and humanitarian supplies to Gaza during the pause, which was the first cessation of fighting since October 7.

The deal was initially expected to take effect Thursday morning but was abruptly delayed late Wednesday when Israel’s National Security Council Chairman Tzachi Hanegbi said the release of the hostages would not begin until Friday. Throughout Thursday, this led to much media speculation as to the reason for the postponement. In particular, The Wall Street Journal reported that the new demands put forward by Hamas included the condition that Israeli hostages released from Gaza be transferred directly to Egypt, and not to the Red Cross, as previously stated. But speaking to CNN, one Israeli official called the delay the result of “fairly minor implementation deals.” This version was also supported by the United States. In particular, White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said that the parties to the negotiations were simply agreeing on “final logistical details.” And Egyptian sources told The Wall Street Journal that the delay was caused by Hamas’s failure to provide a full list of names of hostages to be released and its failure to sign the deal. But a Palestinian official close to the talks said questions had been raised about Red Cross access to the hostages before they were released in Egypt and whether the Red Cross would have access to hostages who remain in Gaza.

Israel also hopes that the final number of hostages released by Hamas during the lull will ultimately be higher than the original 50 specified in the deal. For its part, Hamas said it would take advantage of the pause in fighting to try to find more women and children held by various cells. Moreover, the parties agreed that every additional 10 hostages released would lead to another day of calm. Israeli officials believe the terrorist group could potentially target about 30 more Israeli mothers and children.

Based on what is known about the agreement, every group of hostages released by Hamas each day will be transferred to Israel through one of Gaza’s border crossings.

Upon receipt of evidence that the released hostages are Israeli citizens, as specifically agreed upon, Israel will release a pre-designated group of Palestinian prisoners.

After being received on the Israeli side, the released hostages will undergo a brief medical examination and then be taken to hospitals, where they are expected to be reunited with their families.

Israel has vowed not to launch military action during the lull, but has said that if Hamas violates the ceasefire and attacks soldiers stationed throughout the northern Gaza Strip, troops will be allowed to retaliate. Israel intends to use the pause in hostilities to plan the next steps in the war.

Israel’s war cabinet has vowed to continue its military operations – with the stated goals of destroying Hamas and ensuring the return of all hostages – once the pause in fighting ends.

During a Wednesday evening press conference, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar could “try all sorts of tricks” and said the government was prepared for such an eventuality. The prime minister stressed that the ceasefire agreement agreed with Hamas does not apply to Hamas leaders abroad, saying that “there is no such obligation.” And he said he had “instructed Mossad to act against Hamas leaders wherever they were.”