Highlights
- A second group of hostages released from Gaza — comprising 13 Israelis and four foreign nationals — arrived in Israel late Saturday, according to Israeli officials and a CNN team on the ground. Around the same time, 39 Palestinian detainees and prisoners were released from Israeli jails, authorities said.
- Hamas had delayed the second exchange over a dispute about the prisoners and aid for Gaza that was resolved through mediation, according to Qatar, which helped negotiate the 4-day truce and exchange agreement between the two sides.
- There were emotional scenes Friday as the first wave of Israeli hostages were reunited with their families. On the West Bank, there also was jubilation as Palestinian prisoners returned home.
- Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it is still detaining the director of Gaza’s largest hospital. Israel accuses Hamas of using Al-Shifa Hospital for combat and command purposes, which Hamas and hospital officials deny.
The Israel Defense Forces said early Sunday local time that the 17 hostages released on Saturday are leaving the initial meeting point in Israel.
The 13 Israeli hostages that were released by Hamas on Saturday :
Top row, from left: Noga Weiss, Shiri Weiss, Adi Shoham, Naveh Shoham and Yahel Shoham. Middle row, from left: Maya Regev, Noam Avigdori, Sharon Avigdori, Hila Rotem and Emily Hand. Bottom row, from left: Shoshan Haran, Alma Or and Noam Or. Hostages Missing Families Forum/AP/Reuters
The released hostages — 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals — underwent an initial medical assessment, and one civilian was transferred to a hospital an hour ago. Others are on their way to hospitals, where they will reunite with their families, the IDF said in a statement.
13 Palestinian prisoners released
Palestinians have gathered in front of the Al-Bireh municipality building near Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, where some of the 39 detainees and prisoners released by Israel as part of a deal with Hamas are expected to arrive shortly.
The Israeli Prison Authority confirmed that all 39 had left their places of incarceration —Damon and Megiddo prisons in Israel, and Ofer prison in the West Bank — earlier Saturday.
Of those, 33 are teenage boys and six are women.
Based on information from the Israeli Prison Authority and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an NGO promoting prisoners’ rights, CNN assesses that 15 of those released on Saturday were serving sentences, mostly for attacks on Israelis.
The other 24 were held in what is called administrative detention, which means they were held without knowing any charges against them, and without any legal process.
Violence near one of the prisons: Three boys were shot and wounded with live ammunition near Ofer prison earlier Saturday evening, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
A CNN team on the ground near Beitunia crossing, which is about 200 meters away from the Israeli prison, had witnessed many Palestinians waiting in the area for the expected release of the prisoners. The team heard three gunshots over the course of an hour and witnessed three boys being carried away on a stretcher over the same time period.
The Red Crescent said two of the boys were 17, and one was 16.
CNN has reached out to the Israel Border Police for comment.
Delays
Truce dispute:
Obstacles that caused a delay in hostage and prisoner releases Saturday “were overcome” through mediation, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson said. Hamas said it was delaying the handover of hostages due to aid disputes and the selection of Palestinian prisoners being released. The group said earlier that it had received fewer than half the number of aid trucks that should have come through under the deal with Israel.
Detained hospital director:
The Israeli military said it is still detaining the director of northern Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital, Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya. Earlier Saturday, the World Health Organization called for the legal and human rights of detained health workers to be respected. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using the hospital for combat and command purposes, which Hamas and hospital officials deny. So far, Israel has provided limited evidence of such use, with an alleged Hamas underground network having been viewed by only some Israeli reporters.
Humanitarian aid:
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said it received 187 trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent on Saturday and dispatched the largest aid convoy to Gaza City and the northern parts of the strip since October 7, the day of Hamas’ attacks in Israel. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called for an increase in humanitarian aid and fuel delivered to Gaza.
Qatar hopes to extend the truce beyond four days
Qatar is hoping to extend the truce between Israel and Hamas beyond the agreed upon four days, Qatari Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari told CNN Saturday.
“What we are hoping for is that the momentum that has carried from the releases of these two days and from this agreement of four days will allow us to extend the truce beyond these four days and therefore get into more serious discussions about the rest of the hostages,” Al-Ansari said.
Al-Ansari said he continues to work with senior officials in Qatar to address concerns from either side of the conflict regarding the implementation of the hostage deal.
“Within this kind of mediation, you’re always going to find both sides saying that the other side did not abide by the agreement,” Al-Ansari said.
Al-Ansari added that he could not confirm if any Americans would be released on the third day of the truce.
The lists are delivered on a daily basis. We are now expecting the list for the third day. Sadly, we can’t know who is going to be on that list beforehand,” he said.
The ministry spokesperson also said Qatar is working with partners in Egypt, the United States, and both parties of the conflict to ensure the agreed amount of aid trucks are allowed into Gaza.
“There are a lot of moving parts on the ground when it comes to humanitarian aid there which we need to work through,” he said.
Al-Ansari responded to the head of the Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs who accused Israel of not abiding by the agreement to release prisoners in order of length of time served.
“We are now hopeful with the third day of this pause we will be able to hash out all of the details that made this day so difficult,” he said.
CNN
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