After two first series of releases on Friday and Saturday, a new exchange takes place this Sunday, November 26, 2023.
Thirty-nine Palestinians, all under the age of 19, were released from prison today by the occupation authorities in exchange for 17 Israeli hostages released earlier by Hamas.
Buses came out of the Israeli Ofer prison, in an occupied West Bank, where the prisoners had been transferred before their release. These prisoners then arrived in Beitunia.
The agreement, concluded on Wednesday under the aegis of Qatar with the support of the United States and Egypt, provides for the exchange of 50 hostages among the 240 detainees by Hamas for 150 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons, throughout the four days of this Truce, supposed to end tomorrow evening.
Thirteen hostages kidnapped by Hamas arrived in Israel, four others were on the way to Rafah’s crossing point between the Gaza Strip and Egypt after their release.
The Israeli hostages released on Sunday are four women and nine children. Three Thai hostages were also released as well as a Russian-Israeli binational.
This release took place outside the exchange list between Israel and Hamas at the end of a direct arrangement between Russian representatives and Hamas, “said Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Hamas said he had released a Russian hostage “in response to the efforts” by Russian president Vladimir Putin and his “support for the Palestinian cause” earlier on Sunday.
Until now Hamas has handed over Friday, Saturday and Sunday to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) 58 Israeli and foreign hostages detained in Gaza (24 Friday, 17 Saturday and 17 today), while Israel released 117 Palestinian prisoners who were detained in Israeli prisons (39 Friday, 39 Saturday and 39).
