Photos surface of hostages released by Hamas, now safe in Israel
9:51 AM EST, November 26, 2023
New photos and videos featuring the hostages released from Gaza on Saturday have surfaced. They are safe in Israel, according to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The 13 released hostages include six women and seven children.
The women among the 13 released hostages are aged between 21 and 67 years, while the children and teenagers range from 3 to 18 years. All were abducted by Hamas on October 7, from the kibbutz Be'eri. The Palestinian faction has also released four Thai citizens.
All freed hostages arrive in Israel. Earlier reports from Egyptian television and the Israeli Defense Forces stated that the freed hostages had crossed the Egyptian border at Rafah and had been given to Egyptian authorities by the Red Cross. A convoy, under the surveillance of Israeli special services, made its way towards the Israeli border.
Israeli authorities have confirmed the release of the hostages.
"After going through a preliminary medical examination, they will be escorted to Israeli hospitals by IDF soldiers to be reunited with their families," a statement from the Israeli army says.
The first glimpses of the freed hostages have been captured in photos and videos.
Hostage release faced delays
Hamas earlier on Saturday stated that the release of a second group of hostages planned for the same day had to be delayed. They claimed Israel had not honored the agreement by blocking the access of trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and by sending drones over its southern territory.
The Qatar Foreign Ministry later announced, that through mediation, it was possible to "overcome obstacles". The hostages will be released according to the agreement in exchange for 39 Palestinian prisoners currently in Israeli prisons, they confirmed.
