© Reuters. Hostages who have been kidnapped by Hamas gunmen in the course of the October 7 assault on Israel, wave as they’re handed over by Hamas militants to members of the Worldwide Committee of the Purple Cross, as a part of a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israe
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By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell
GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – 13 Israeli and 4 Thai nationals launched from Hamas captivity arrived in Israel on Sunday and have been set to be reunited with their households as a part of an important hostage deal, which briefly risked falling aside on account of a dispute over support provides.
The short-lived row over support that threatened the non permanent truce to free captives was overcome with the mediation of Qatar and Egypt nevertheless it underscored the fragility of the settlement, via which a complete of fifty Israeli hostages are to be exchanged for 150 Palestinian prisoners over 4 days.
Tv footage confirmed hostages on the Egyptian aspect of the Rafah border crossing after leaving Gaza, as Hamas handed over the captives to the Worldwide Committee of the Purple Cross (ICRC) late on Saturday. Of the 13 Israelis launched, six have been ladies and 7 have been kids and youngsters, in line with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace.
“The released hostages are on their way to hospitals in Israel, where they will reunite with their families,” the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) stated in a press release.
In change for the Israeli hostages, 39 Palestinian civilians together with 33 minors have been going to be launched from Israeli prisons. Al Jazeera TV carried reside footage of what it known as a Purple Cross bus carrying a lot of cheering Palestinian prisoners launched from an Israeli jail on its solution to Beitunia city, within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution.
A Palestinian official aware of the diplomacy stated Hamas would proceed with the four-day truce agreed with Israel, the primary halt in preventing since Hamas fighters rampaged via southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 individuals and taking about 240 hostages.
In response to that assault, Israel has vowed to destroy the Hamas militants who run Gaza, raining bombs and shells on the enclave and launching a floor offensive within the north. To this point, some 14,800 individuals, roughly 40% of them kids, have been killed, Palestinian well being authorities stated on Saturday.
Saturday’s swap comes after one other 13 Israeli hostages together with kids and the aged have been freed by Hamas on Friday in return for 39 Palestinian ladies and youth launched from Israeli prisons.
DISPUTE
The deal ran the danger of derailment earlier after the armed wing of Hamas stated it was delaying Saturday’s scheduled second spherical of hostage releases till Israel met all truce circumstances, together with committing to let support vehicles into northern Gaza.
Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan stated solely 65 of 340 support vehicles that had entered Gaza since Friday had reached northern Gaza, which was “less than half of what Israel agreed on.”
The IDF stated contained in the Gaza Strip, distribution of the help was carried out by the United Nations and the worldwide organizations.
The United Nations confirmed stated 61 vehicles of support have been delivered to northern Gaza on Saturday, the biggest quantity since Oct. 7. They included meals, water and emergency medical provides.
Al-Qassam Brigades additionally stated Israel had did not respect the phrases of the Palestinian prisoner releases and that the Palestinian detainees weren’t raised by seniority.
Qatari international ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari on Saturday stated there been “a lot of discussion” on how and whom to prioritize for the releases and on the Palestinian aspect, a key criterion was the size of time spent in Israeli prisons.
“We are now hopeful that with the second or the third day of this pause, we would be able to hash out a lot of these details that made this day so difficult,” he advised CNN.
Making certain that the deal didn’t collapse took a day of high-stakes diplomacy mediated by Qatar and Egypt, a course of by which U.S. President Joe Biden additionally participated by calling Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Israel has stated the ceasefire could possibly be prolonged if Hamas continues to launch hostages at a fee of at the least 10 per day. A Palestinian supply has stated as much as 100 hostages might go free.
‘HEART IS SPLIT’
Whereas Saturday turned out to be a day of high-anxiety diplomacy for Qatari and Egyptian mediators, it meant hours of nail-biting ready for the households of hostages. For some, their pleasure was overshadowed by the continued captivity of others.
“My heart is split because my son, Itay, is still in Hamas’ captivity in Gaza,” Mirit Regev, mom of Maya Regev who was amongst these launched late on Saturday, stated in a press release launched by Hostage and Lacking Households Discussion board, a platform set as much as signify the households.
Amongst these launched was nine-year-old Irish-Israeli hostage Emily Hand, who was initially thought to have been killed.
“This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family,” Eire Prime Minister Leo Varadkar stated in a press release. “For her family, these seven weeks have been a slow and cruel torture,” he stated, including that Eire was redoubling efforts to work for a everlasting ceasefire.
For Palestinians, nevertheless, pleasure on the launch of prisoners from Israeli jails had a bitter tinge. Israeli police have been seen raiding the house of Sawsan Bkeer on Friday shortly earlier than her daughter Marah, 24, was launched. Israeli police declined to remark.
“There is no real joy, even this little joy we feel as we wait,” stated Sawsan Bkeer. “We are still afraid to feel happy,” she stated.
