Hamas released 13 Israeli hostages and four Thai nationals on Saturday on the second day of swaps between the two sides in a four-day cease-fire. The hostages are back in Israel.
Palestinian prisoners en route to Gaza
Update 6:41 p.m. EST Nov. 25: Israeli officials confirmed that all 39 Palestinian prisoners have left their prisons and were en route to Gaza, CNN reported.
According to the Israeli Prison Authority, the 33 male teens and six women left the Damon and Megiddo prisons in Israel and Ofer prison in the West Bank earlier Saturday.
Of those, 33 are male teens and six are women.
-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Here are the names of the hostages
Update 5:44 p.m. EST Nov. 25: The Israeli prime minister’s office and the Hostage and Missing Families Forum released the names and ages of all 13 Israeli hostages released Saturday, CNN reported.
The mother of one of the released hostages, 12-year-old Hila Rotem, remained in captivity, a spokesperson told The Associated Press. Emily Hand, is a 9-year-old girl whose father believed her to be dead for several weeks before finding out she was held as a hostage.
Here is the list of released hostages:
- Shoshan Haran, 67
- Shiri Weiss, 53
- Sharon Avigdori, 52
- Adi Shoham, 38
- Maya Regev, 21
- Noga Weiss, 18
- Noam Or, 17
- Alma Or, 13
- Hila Rotem, 13
- Noam Avigdori, 12
- Emily Hand, 9
- Naveh Shoham, 8
- Yahel Shoham, 3
-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Hostages back in Israel, IDF says
Update 5:23 p.m. EST Nov. 25: The second group of hostages held by Hamas have been exchanged and are back in Israel, according to Israel Defense Forces.
The hostages, who included 13 Israelis and four Thais, were being taken to hospitals for observation and to be reunited with families, The Associated Press reported. Hamas said that seven nationals were released, CNN reported.
Israel confirmed that Hamas had passed 13 Israelis -- eight children and five women -- to the Red Cross in Gaza, The New York Times reported. They were taken in a convoy across the Rafah crossing to Egypt, Israel said.
In return, Israel was expected to release 39 Palestinian prisoners.
Group of hostages released by Hamas arrives in Israel, the IDF says https://t.co/ECCMecrH4u
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) November 25, 2023
-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Second group of hostages taken to Egypt
Update 4:59 p.m. EST Nov. 25: A second group of hostages were released from Hamas and placed into the custody of the Red Cross late Saturday, The New York Times reported. The hostages were driven into Egypt, according to the newspaper.
It was the second exchange between Israel and the Hamas militants in as many days. Saturday’s swap was delayed for several hours due to disagreements between the two sides.
Noam Avigdori, 12, and her mother Sharon, 52, were among the 13 Israelis released late Saturday night, The Washington Post reported. Both were kidnapped from the Be’eri kibbutz while visiting Sharon’s brother. Seven more members of the family were taken captive on Oct. 7 and three were killed. according to the newspaper.
Alma Or, 13, was also kidnapped from her home in Be’eri with her older brother Noam, 17. Both were released Saturday, the Post reported. Their mother Yonat was killed in the Oct. 7 attack.
Four Thai nationals also were released by Hamas, CNN reported.
-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Hamas says hostages heading into Egypt
Update 4:34 p.m. EST Nov. 25: Close to midnight local time Saturday, Hamas said it had handed over all 20 hostages -- 13 Israelis and seven foreigners -- to the International Committee for the Red Cross, according to The Associated Press.
Officials with the Red Cross said the hostages were headed to the Rafah crossing with Egypt, CNN reported, citing the Israel Defense Forces.
The hostages were taken into Egypt later Saturday, according to The New York Times.
-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Update 2:06 p.m. EST Nov. 25: Mediators say that Hamas will release 13 Israelis and seven foreigners for Palestinians after a day Saturday, The Associated Press reported.
“After a delay in implementing the release of prisoners from both sides, the obstacles were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian communications with both sides, and tonight 39 Palestinian civilians will be released in exchange for the release of 13 Israeli detainees from Gaza in addition to 7 foreigners outside the framework of the agreement,” the Qatari spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, said, according to CNN.
Update 12:06 p.m. EST Nov. 25: Hamas on Saturday was expected to release Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners during a temporary truce. According to the New York Times, there have been signs of last-minute disagreements that may have contributed to the delay.
Hamas’s military wing released a statement that said it has decided to delay the release. Accoridng to the Times, the statement claimed that Israel “had failed to uphold parts of its side of the deal related to the entry of aid to northern Gaza and which Palestinian prisoners would be released.”
The dispute is over the amount of aid entering Gaza, U.S. and Israeli officials said, according to CNN.
“It will take time, and we’re all waiting for this to move ahead,” Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht said, according to CNN.
“The Al-Qassam Brigades decide to delay the release of the second batch of prisoners until the occupation adheres to the terms of the agreement related to the entry of relief trucks into the northern Gaza Strip, and due to the failure to adhere to the agreed-upon standards for releasing prisoners,” the military wing of Hamas said on Telegram, according to CNN.
Original story: Hamas provided officials in Egypt and Qatar with a list of 14 hostages to be released Saturday, according to The Associated Press. The list has since been passed over to officials in Israel.
Americans are reportedly not expected to be part of the second swap of hostages Saturday, a White House official said, according to CNN.
“The President secured the release of two American citizens as the pilot to this larger release of hostages. We are early in the process that will see at least 50 women and children released during the first phase of the agreement,” a White House official said, according to CNN.”We are hopeful that will include three dual national women and children, who are American citizens. This will unfold over the coming days. We will not comment on individual cases as the process is underway.”
A large shipment of humanitarian supplies was allowed into the area Friday which included over 130 trucks of fuel and cooking gas, according to The New York Times. More trucks are expected into the area on Saturday.
On the first day of the four-day cease-fire, Hamas released 24 of around 240 hostages that were taken during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the AP reported. Fourteen were Israelis, 10 were Thais and one was a Filipino. Americans were not among the first group.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s officials believe that there are currently 213 people being held hostage in Gaza, CNN reported. This comes after the first group was released on Friday.
