Celebrations have taken over several cities in the West Bank following the release of 39 Palestinian women and children detainees from Israeli jails.
This number included at least 24 women and children.
Also, some convicted prisoners who had been jailed for attempted murder for attacks on Israeli forces, and 15 teenagers jailed for offenses such as throwing stones were released by Israel on Friday evening.
The Guardian UK noted that some may not have seen their families for many years.
In at least three cases, before the prisoners were released, Israeli police raided their families’ homes in Jerusalem, Reuters reported, citing witnesses.
Also, in the Gaza strip, the Israel Defence Forces confirmed in a statement that the Israeli hostages freed from Gaza were now in Israel and had undergone medical checks.
The released hostages underwent an initial medical assessment inside Israeli territory. They will continue to be accompanied by IDF soldiers as they make their way to Israeli hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families, Axios’ Barak Ravid confirmed in a statement.
Four German-Israeli dual nationals were among the hostages released from Gaza, Saturday PUNCH has gathered.
The released hostages whose family members said they had dual citizenship were: Aviv Asher, two; Raz Asher, four; and Doron Katz-Asher, 34; as well as Margalit Mozes, 77.
Germany’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, on the sidelines of a Greens’ party conference, confirmed four dual nationals were among those released, Deutsche Welle reported.
The Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari has held a news conference where he said the released hostages – 13 Israelis and 11 foreigners – have all undergone medical tests and are in good condition.
The freed hostages are being taken to Hatzerim airbase to complete physical and mental checkups, and to call their families, the Times of Israel reported.
The foreigners, from Thailand and the Philippines, will meet representatives of their nations, he said.
Thirteen Israeli hostages captured during Palestinian militants’ cross-border raids were back in Israeli territory where they would undergo medical checks before being reunited with their families, the army said.
They included four children and six elderly women, a list issued by the Israeli prime minister’s office showed.
A convoy of Red Cross vehicles crossed the border between Gaza and Egypt, with some of the passengers waving, after Hamas handed over the hostages to the humanitarian organisation.
This recent hostage freedom is part of the temporary truce made by both parties hostages in the war-ravaged Gaza.
Israel is set to free three times as many Palestinian prisoners — women and teenage boys — under a deal that followed weeks of talks involving Israel, Palestinian militant groups, Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
During a four-day truce, at least 50 hostages are expected to be freed, leaving an estimated 190 in the hands of Palestinian militants.
In exchange, 150 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released.
Biden glad
Joe Biden says the pause in fighting is a “critical” opportunity to deliver much-needed food, medicine, water and fuel to the civilians in Gaza.
“We are not wasting one single minute,” he says, adding that he has been focused on accelerating the delivery of humanitarian systems to Gaza in coordination with the UN and the Red Cross.
He also noted that more than 200 trucks carrying food, medicine, fuel and cooking gas arrived at the crossing point in Egypt into Gaza on Friday.
