Israel expects 1st group of hostages to be released Thursday

By Abdel Rauf Arnaut

JERUSALEM (AA) – The first group of hostages held by Palestinian group Hamas since Oct. 7 should be released on Thursday, according to Israel’s foreign minister.

Under a humanitarian pause deal reached early Wednesday, “Israel expects to recover on Thursday the first hostages being freed from the Gaza Strip by Hamas,” Eli Cohen told Army Radio.

Under the agreement, 50 Israelis held by Hamas will be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails, Israeli media reported.

The deal, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, also includes a four-day pause in fighting and the entry of 300 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, including much-needed fuel, into the Gaza Strip.

The agreement also allows for an extension of the pause and the potential release of more women and children held by both sides.

Israel estimates that at least 239 Israelis are being held by Hamas following its cross-border attack on Oct. 7.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following the Hamas attack, killing more than 14,128 Palestinians, including 5,840 children and 3,920 women, according to health authorities in the enclave.

Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel’s air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.