Hamas Releases Second Set of Hostages Seized From Israel During Oct. 7th Attack

Hamas reportedly released on Saturday night a second group of hostages taken during the devastating attack on southern Israel on October 7th. The hostages were reportedly handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza and are traveling over the Egyptian border to return home to Israel.

Initial reports say that Hamas, deemed a terror organization by U.S., released 13 Israelis and 4 foreign-born hostages.

“We have also learned, according to the IDF, that the International Red Cross has received the second group of hostages for day two. And so now what we await is on the left-hand side [of the screen] to see them actually cross that border. That signal comes and goes, but we’re carrying it live for you so that you can also see when this does happen. The other side of the equation is that the 39 Palestinian prisoners and they being released in the West Bank. So those are the two parts at this quarter-hour that we understand,” reported MSNBC anchor Richard Lui as the news broke.

The exchange was plagued by a last-minute delay by Hamas and fears of a breakdown in negotiations, which were eventually settled by Qatari mediators.

The Times of Israel reported on the release, noting:

Among those identified in the first images are Sharon Avigdori, 52, and her 12-year-old daughter, Noam Avigdori, as well as Noam Or, 17, and Alma Or, 13, whose mother Yonat was murdered and father and cousin remain in captivity.

Watch the full clip above via MSNBC.