BREAKING: Hamas Releases 13 Hostages Taken in Brutal October 7th Attack on Israel
The Office of Israel’s Prime Minister has confirmed that Hamas is in the process of releasing 13 civilian hostages to the Red Cross as part of a hostage-for-prisoner swap deal agreed to earlier in the week. The hostages were reportedly set to be released at the Rafah Crossing at the border of Gaza and Egypt, with helicopters ready to airlift individuals to Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel, if necessary. It is not clear if it went according to that specific plan.
CNN’s John Berman reported at 9:35 AM, “I just heard in my ear that all 13 of the hostages are now in Egypt, so over just the last few minutes, they moved from a few miles away from the border with Egypt. They are now all in Egypt. Israeli hostages are now with the Red Cross in Egypt. That is according to the prime minister’s office.” Fox News’s Trey Yingst confirmed that hostages are with the Red Cross but may not yet be in Egypt yet.
Berman later clarified the report at the top of the 10 AM hour, saying:
We are just getting word that the 13 hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas terrorists are in the process of being turned over. At this minute, our latest understanding is that they have been turned over or are in the process of being turned over to Red Cross officials in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis. You can see where Khan Yunis is right here. They would then be moved from Khan Yunis, presumably to the south, near either Rafah or this crossing right there. This is not far. This is less than ten miles. It is less than a 20 minute drive from place to place. So this process could be very, very quick. Again, 13 hostages in the process of being turned over. Our understanding all along is this will be children and also women. This is part of the deal that was brokered that would release 50 hostages from inside Gaza over the next four days in exchange for some 150 Palestinian prisoners inside Israel. Also, humanitarian aid coming in to Gaza from Egypt and a few other things around the margins. Again, our understanding this process is under way. It is developing by the minute. One of the things we are watching is Abigail Don. We’re waiting for information about Abigail Jordan, who turns four years old today. Her parents were killed by Hamas terrorists. Unclear. We’ve been told that Americans would not be part of this exchange today.
No American citizens were included in the hostages handed over as was expected by US military officials, which multiple outlets widely reported, thought US citizens are expected to be among the remaining hostages released in the next 96 hours.
The hostage release came nine hours after the fighting was paused in Gaza, and the temporary truce began as part of a humanitarian deal between Israel and Hamas, which will see 50 hostages handed over to the IDF in return for 150 Hamas prisoners held by Israel. In addition to the 13 Israeli hostages, 12 Thai hostages were also released as well.
Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s senior adviser, Mark Regev, told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that Israel will announce a list of the 13 hostages who have been released once they are safely back in Israel.
Netanyahu’s senior adviser Mark Regev says Israel will announce a list of the 13 hostages who have been released once they are safely back in Israel. pic.twitter.com/gRzs0ESz9T
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 24, 2023
CNN’s Oren Liebermann reported that another set of hostages are set to be released within the next 24 hours, though the details of just how many and who will be released have not yet been revealed.
Watch above via CNN.
