Hamas releases 11 Israeli hostages, Israel 33 Palestinian prisoners

Qatar announced late Monday that 11 Israeli hostages -- among them German, Argentinean and French nationals -- have been released today from the Gaza Belt by Hamasi ʹ the radical Palestinian group declared terrorist organisation by the United States and the European Union.

Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansar wrote on the social X network that Israel has freed three women and 30 Israeli children from their prisons.

“The Israelis released from Gaza include three French citizens, two German citizens and six Armaninas”, he wrote, adding that they “were handed over the International Committee of the Red Cross”.

Similarly, Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said 11 hostages were on their way back from Gaza to Israel.

“Based on the information we received from the Red Cross, 11 hostages are en route to Israeli territory”, the IDF said.

This is the fourth group of hostages released by Hamas since the temporary ceasefire between Israel and the radical group began Friday.

Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, are the main mediators of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

So far, it has ruled out the release of hostages today, 58 hostages have been released during the current ceasefire, including 39 Israelis, in exchange for 117 Palestinians released from Israeli prisons.

Earlier Monday, Israel and Hamas agreed to continue the ceasefire, which would expire today for another two days.

The truce that began Friday morning brought 2.3 million Palestinians a little calm from the ongoing Israeli bombings, which resulted in thousands of people being killed and residential buildings destroyed, while three-quarters of the population were forced to flee their homes.

The war broke out on October 7th, when the Hamas fighters in Gaza broke down the border barriers and entered southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and kidnapping 240 others, including women, children and older ones.

Israel declared war conditions immediately, carrying out several weekly bombings and launching a ground offensive, resulting in more than 14,500 Palestinians killed, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas - controlled territory. About two thirds of those killed in Gaza were women and minors. / REL