Hamas frees 24 hostages from Gaza on first day of truce.

During the first day of a truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict, Hamas fighters released 24 hostages, including Israeli women and children, as well as Thai farm workers. The hostages were handed over to Egyptian authorities at the Rafah border crossing with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Qatar, acting as a mediator, stated that 13 Israelis, 10 Thais, and a Filipino were among those released. Additionally, 39 Palestinian women and children’s detainees were released from Israeli jails. The truce, lasting four days, involves the exchange of 50 women and children’s hostages for 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails. The release of Thai workers followed a separate track mediated by Egypt and Qatar. The Israeli military conducted medical assessments on the released hostages, and both sides accused each other of sporadic violations, with the understanding that full-scale hostilities could resume after the truce ends. The UN reported a significant humanitarian convoy entering Gaza, the largest since October 7.

Source – CGTN