3rd hostage release… Including 13 Israelis, 3 Thais, and 1 Russian.
A 4-year-old girl with dual American and Israeli citizenship is released after 50 days of Hamas kidnapping.
Netanyahu: “We will continue until the end, until we win…nothing can stop us.”
On the third day of the exchange of hostages and prisoners between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas, Hamas released 17 hostages being held.
The Associated Press reported on this day that Hamas militants released an additional 17 hostages, including 14 Israelis, on the 26th (local time).
CNN also reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that a total of 17 Israeli and foreign hostages released from Hamas were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
According to the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the hostages released by Hamas on this day included 13 Israelis, 3 Thais, and 1 Russian.
Among the hostages released that day, Abigail Ethan, a 4-year-old girl with dual American and Israeli citizenship, was handed over to Red Cross officials, a senior U.S. government official told CNN. Abigail was released 50 days after she was kidnapped during a surprise attack by Hamas on the 7th of last month.
CNN reported that this was the first successful release of an American hostage since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began.
According to the AP, a Red Cross delegation transported the hostages out of Gaza late this afternoon. Some were brought directly to Israel, while others left through Egypt. The U.S. military said one of the hostages was taken directly to an Israeli hospital.
In relation to this, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari posted on social media “After that, they will head to the base building. “One hostage who returned to Israel was immediately taken to the hospital,” he said.
He continued, “At the same time, four hostages crossed to Egypt via Rafah and returned to Israel. From there, they will be directed to a meeting point with our troops on Israeli territory,” he added.
As part of this negotiation, Israel plans to release 39 Palestinian prisoners on the afternoon of the 26th.
Before Hamas carried out the third hostage release, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip on the 26th and encouraged the soldiers.
“We are making every effort to return the hostages, and eventually we will return everyone,” Netanyahu said, according to AP.
He also said, “We will continue (the war) until the end, until we win. “Nothing will stop us,” he added.
The AP reported that it was not immediately clear where Netanyahu went to in the Gaza Strip that day.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced earlier that Israel had received a list of hostages to be released on the 26th, a holiday, in accordance with the agreement signed with Hamas.
Israeli security officials said in a statement that “security officials are verifying the list” and that the information has been passed on to the hostage families.
On the 24th, 24 hostages, including 13 Israeli civilians and 11 foreigners, were released, and on the 25th, 17 more hostages, including 13 Israelis and 4 Thais, were released.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.