The first group of hostages was freed from Gaza on Friday as part of a deal that brought a temporary halt to hostilities between Israel and Hamas. Twenty-four people were released, including 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and one Philippine national.
In exchange, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners – 24 women and 15 teenagers – on Friday evening. The four-day ceasefire marks the first break in seven weeks of war, offering relief to the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza and to Israeli families fearing for their loved ones.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, welcomed the return of the hostages but vowed not to end the campaign to destroy Hamas. Under the agreement, Hamas is to free at least 50 of the approximately 240 hostages it has held since its 7 October attacks, in which 1,200 people were killed. Israel will release at least 150 Palestinian prisoners and allow up to 300 trucks of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The ceasefire began at 7am on Friday, though a rocket alert sounded in southern Israel 15 minutes later. Nonetheless, relative calm appeared to have been established across much of Gaza by the afternoon. The Thai government confirmed the release of 10 Thai nationals, and the Philippine president confirmed the release of a Filipino carer, with efforts continuing to locate a second missing person.
Netanyahu's office said Israel had received a list of hostages to be freed on Saturday, with security officials reviewing it. The offensive has killed more than 14,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials, with many more thought to be buried under rubble.
