Israel, Hamas Begin Exchanging Prisoners, Hostages

The first group of hostages Hamas abducted on October 7 was released on Friday (November 24) after Israel and Hamas struck a deal brokered by the United States and Qatar as part of an at least four-day truce in the fighting.

Media reports indicated that the 13 Israeli hostages that were freed were composed of women and children in exchange for 39 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

According to The Times of Israel, the first group of Israeli hostages have been handed over to aid workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Upon crossing, the hostages were turned over to Egyptian authorities, and then, Israel Defense Force (IDF) helicopters would take them to the hospital for treatment and trauma debriefing.

Meanwhile, the 39 Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli jails, particularly in Ofer Prison in the West Bank, have also been released, Qatari officials confirmed.

Thai Hostages Also Released

Also released on Friday were around 12 Thai nationals who were also taken hostage by Hamas.

"It has been confirmed by the Security Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that 12 Thai hostages have already been released," Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin stated on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "Embassy officials are on their way to pick them up in another hour. They should know their names and details. Please stay tuned."

The Guardian reported that 14 other Thai hostages remain in captivity.

It was revealed by Reuters that the Thai hostages were part of a separate deal negotiated by Hamas with Qatar and Egypt.

However, Qatari officials claim that the non-Israeli hostages freed were only 11—10 Thai and a single Filipino.

Spanish and Belgian Ambassadors Summoned by Israel After PMs' Statements in Rafah

Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and held a press conference just minutes before the agreed-upon time for the release of the first batch of hostages.

During the joint statement, both premiers welcomed the four-day pause in the fighting and the influx of humanitarian aid. However, they also called for a more permanent ceasefire, saying that the current truce in Gaza was not enough.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to summon the Belgian and Spanish ambassadors in order to reprimand them for the comments Sanchez and De Croo made, the Jerusalem Post reported.

"We condemn the false claims of the Prime Ministers of Spain and Belgium who give support to terrorism," Cohen said. "Israel is acting according to international law and is fighting a murderous terrorist organization worse than ISIS that commits war crimes and crimes against humanity."

In a separate statement, Netanyahu strongly condemned the words of both prime ministers for not placing full responsibility for the crimes against humanity committed by Hamas, who massacred Israeli citizens and used the Palestinians as human shields.

Neither Belgium nor Spain took part in talks for the hostages' release.

Tags

Palestine, Thailand, Gaza, Hamas, Egypt, Hostage, Spain, Belgium, Us, Qatar, Red cross, IDF, Israel, Hostages