TEL AVIV
Fourteen more Israeli hostages are poised for release on Saturday, as confirmed by an Israeli official acquainted with the list received on Friday night. Simultaneously, the Israel Prison Service revealed that it received a list comprising 42 Palestinian terror convicts, slated for release today.
This exchange is part of a complex deal with Hamas, which will also witness the liberation of a group of hostages from Gaza later in the day.
At least fourteen Israeli hostages will be released on Saturday, an Israeli official familiar with the list of names handed to Israel told CNN.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office currently believes 213 people are being held hostage in Gaza after the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel.
This comes following the first groups of hostages were released on Friday amid an agreement that brought a temporary ceasefire to fighting in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Israel Prison Service said it received a list of 42 Palestinian terror convicts who are to be released today as part of the deal with Hamas that will also see a group of hostages released from Gaza later on Saturday, The Times of Israel reported.
The report also stated that this is the second day out of four in which similar exchanges are expected to be held, with additional days of ceasefire possible if Hamas agrees to release more hostages.
The Prison Service also stated that the prisoners will be moved to Ofer Prison in the West Bank for medical check-ups by the International Red Cross, before their release to the West Bank or East Jerusalem.
They will be set free only after the group of Israeli hostages is released and properly identified, The Times of Israel reported.
The 13 Israeli hostages released on Friday are in good, stable condition following their release, doctors said on Saturday.
The Schneider Children’s Medical Centre in Petah Tikva, east of Tel Aviv, said in a statement that “the condition of the four children and the four women who returned to Israel last night is determined good.”
“They are together with their family members in the dedicated and separate compound, surrounded by medical and psycho-social teams,” the statement said, according to CNN.
Meanwhile, the Wolfson Medical Centre in Holon, south of Tel Aviv, said “The condition of five returnees who were admitted yesterday at Wolfson Hospital is stable.”
“Each one is being treated according to the medical examination carried out yesterday by the medical team, and they are being embraced by their family.”
“We are waiting and hoping for the return of all the abductees,” the statement added.
Roughly 20 Thai nationals are still being held by Hamas as hostages in Gaza, CNN reported, citing the Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Saturday.
Of the 10 hostages released on Friday, four had not been previously confirmed as missing by Israeli authorities.
“The families of the released hostages have been notified, and Thai Embassy officials are in the process of making “necessary arrangements for their travel back to Thailand,” said the ministry.
Thailand’s Foreign Ministry also thanked the governments of Qatar, Israel, Egypt, Iran, Malaysia and the International Committee of the Red Cross, expressing its “deepest appreciation to all of the parties from whom the Thai authorities had sought assistance and support.”
“We sincerely hope that the remaining hostages will be treated humanely and released safely as soon as possible,” CNN reported.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office shared a list of all 13 hostages who returned home to their loved ones after being taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 terror attacks.
The Israeli PM Office informed that among those rescued as part of a swap deal with Hamas were 11 foreign nationals. In exchange for 24 Hamas hostages, who were rescued as part of the deal brokered by the US and Qatar, Israel also freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.
“The Israeli government embraces our citizens returning home. The Israeli government is committed to the return of all abductees and missing persons,” the PM Office said in a statement.
“Our citizens underwent an initial medical examination and their families were informed by the appointed officials that they were back,” it added.
The Israeli PM Office also put out details of the 13 nationals who returned to their homeland.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has termed the exchanged “start of a process.” Calling the release of the initial batch of hostages as a part of a four-day truce between Israel and Hamas, the “start of a process,” President Joe Biden said the United States expects “dozens of hostages” will be returned to their families over the next few days.
“Today’s release is the start of a process. We expect more hostages to be released tomorrow and more of the day after and more the day after that. Over the next few days, we expect that dozens of hostages will be returned to their families. We also remember all those who are still being held and renew our commitment to work for their release as well,” Biden said in his remarks on Friday.
Biden further said that everyone should be appreciative of the families who have been “reunited with loved ones.”
“Two American women and one four-year-old child Abigail, who remain among those missing. We will not stop until we get these hostages brought home and an answer to their whereabouts. I remain in personal contact with the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and Israel to make sure this stays on track and every aspect to the deal is implemented,” Biden said.
The US President further said that the hostages who were released on day one of the ceasefire from Gaza have a long journey of healing ahead of them.
He said, “All these hostages have been through a terrible ordeal and this is the beginning of a long journey of healing for them…Today has been a product of a lot of hard work and weeks of personal engagement. From the moment Hamas kidnapped these people, I, along with my team, have worked around the clock to secure the release we saw…I’ve consistently pressed for a pause in the fighting for two reasons to accelerate and expand humanitarian assistance going into Gaza and to facilitate the lease of hostages.”
“Over the past several weeks, I’ve spoken repeatedly with the Emir of Qatar, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, to help secure this deal and I want to thank all three leaders for their personal partnership to get this done,” Biden said.
Biden, also said that Hamas carried out the assault because “they fear nothing more than Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace.”
“As we look to the future, we have to end this cycle of violence in the Middle East. We need to renew our resolve to pursue this two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians can one day live side by side in a two-state solution with an equal measure of freedom and dignity,” Biden said.