All 20 Living Hostages Released by Hamas, Confirms Israel

World

Israel has confirmed that all 20 living hostages held by Hamas have been released to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), marking a significant development in the ongoing conflict.

According to Israeli authorities, the final group of 13 surviving hostages has been handed over to the Red Cross and is currently being transferred to Israeli forces inside the Gaza Strip. Earlier today, seven hostages were released and have since returned to Israeli territory.

Of the 48 hostages previously believed to be in Gaza, 20 were confirmed alive, while the remains of 28 others are expected to be transferred later today.

Live footage broadcast from Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, showed five Red Cross vehicles carrying the released hostages, surrounded by Hamas officers and cheered on by crowds as the convoy departed the area.

Hamas had pledged to release all surviving hostages by today as part of a prisoner exchange deal involving the release of 250 prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,700 Palestinians detained after the group’s October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 67,000 people have been killed in Israel’s offensive on Gaza since the start of the war. Vast portions of the enclave have been reduced to rubble, and famine has been declared in parts of northern Gaza.

(Source: NBC News)