Hamas releases 5th batch of hostages from Gaza

(Xinhua) 11:08, November 29, 2023

GAZA, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, handed over 10 Israeli hostages to the International Red Cross (ICRC) on Tuesday evening, after the truce in the Gaza Strip was extended for a fifth day.

In return, Israel will later release 30 prisoners whose names were published by the Prisoners' Affairs Authority of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

A total of 30 Palestinian prisoners would be released on Tuesday in exchange for the release of 10 Israeli hostages from Gaza under the deal to extend the humanitarian truce, Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari confirmed on the social media platform X.

The 10 Israeli hostages, including nine women and a minor, were handed over to the ICRC along with two Argentinians, an Austrian citizen and a Philippine citizen, he said.

Qatar, as well as Egypt and the United States, helped broker the previous four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that started on Friday. Under the truce deal, Hamas released 50 Israeli hostages in exchange for some 150 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the truce for another two days on Monday, on the condition that the release of every additional 10 Israeli hostages would result in one additional day of truce in Gaza.