2023-11-25 17:21:00
Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, has begun “handing over the second group” of Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, the AFP news agency learned from Hamas circles. Other agencies, however, reported delays.
Hamas’ armed wing has decided to postpone the second round of hostage releases until Israel allows trucks carrying aid supplies to the north of the Gaza Strip, the Archyde.com news agency reported. According to the German press agency dpa, Hamas justified the postponement by saying that Israel had violated part of the agreement. In Israel, the handover of the Israelis was expected around 3 p.m. CET. More than an hour later, Israeli media reported a “technical” delay.
Hamas accused Israel of not allowing aid to be delivered to the northern part of the Gaza Strip as agreed. It was currently unclear whether this was actually part of the agreement brokered by Qatar. In Israel there was always talk of making it possible to deliver aid to the south.
According to Egyptian security sources, Hamas had sent a list of 14 Israeli women and children. There were also different information regarding the exact number of hostages who were to be released on Saturday. Israeli media reported last-minute negotiations over whether to release 13 or 14 Israelis. However, it was unclear whether the negotiations were also a reason for the delay.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the list was being reviewed by security authorities. The office did not comment on the number or further details. According to Israeli prison authorities, the release of 42 Palestinian prisoners is being prepared in return.
On the second day of the ceasefire, more and more aid supplies were brought into the Gaza Strip. On Saturday morning, four trucks carrying fuel from Egypt passed through the Rafah border crossing into the Gaza Strip. Another four trucks were loaded with gas bottles needed for cooking. According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, 50 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies as well as shelter equipment were sent to northern Gaza. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, 196 trucks carrying relief supplies drove into the Gaza Strip on Friday. Aid organizations also used the ceasefire to bring injured people and medical personnel to safety.
A total of 24 people were released on Friday, the first day of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. In return, 39 Palestinian women and teenagers were released from Israeli prisons, according to the Emirate of Qatar, which is acting as a mediator between the warring parties. In the major Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, around 240 people were abducted to the Gaza Strip.
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