Free at last: Hamas releases 24 hostages as Gaza ceasefire holds
Twenty-four hostages have been released after seven weeks held captive inside Gaza on the first day of a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas.
It was a moment of joy after weeks of worry for some of the families of the 240 people kidnapped by the militant group during the 7 October attack on Israel when 1,200 people were killed. In exchange for the 13 Israelis freed – nine women and four children under 10 – Israel released 39 Palestinians, also a mix of women and minors, imprisoned in Israel’s jails as part of the four-day ceasefire deal. Ten Thai nationals and one Filipino were also freed by Hamas outside of that deal.
If the releases were a dramatic landmark moment, Gaza residents shared their relief at a period of “calmness”, saying families used the rare pause to gather supplies, find family members and bury their dead after ferocious Israeli bombardment in the wake of the Hamas attack.
Israel’s heaviest ever
