Israel-Gaza war: another hostage-prisoner exchange made under tenuous truce
- Eight hostages exchanged for 30 Palestinian prisoners on seventh day of Qatari-mediated truce
- Latest truce was set to expire Friday, though international mediators are working to extend it
Israel released another group of Palestinian prisoners on Friday, hours after Hamas freed additional Israeli hostages under a last-minute agreement to extend their ceasefire by another day in Gaza.
But any further extension renewal, now in its eighth day, could prove more challenging as Hamas is expected to set a higher price for many of the remaining hostages.
Hamas freed six hostages hours after releasing two Israeli women Thursday afternoon. All were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza after eight weeks in captivity. They were brought to Israel for medical evaluations and to be reunited with their families, the Israeli military said.
A busload of 30 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel was welcomed home in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Dozens of men, some holding green Hamas flags, greeted the prisoners. The men were hugged as the crowd chanted: “God is great”.
During the truce, at least 10 Israelis a day, along with other nationals, have been freed by Hamas in return for Israel’s release of at least 30 Palestinian prisoners.
Asked why Hamas on Thursday released fewer than 10 hostages, as outlined in the ceasefire agreement, the military’s chief spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, noted that 12 Israeli citizens had been released the day before, implying that the overall total had met Israeli demands.