Israeli hostages to be released from Hamas captivity tonight after 'delay resolved'
25 November 2023, 17:18 | Updated: 25 November 2023, 19:14
Israeli hostages being held under captivity by Hamas will be released tonight, it has been confirmed, after an initial delay.
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Hamas's military wing, the Qassam Brigades, accused Israel of breaking a truce agreement it had reached in order to secure the release of hostages.
They also said the hostages would not be released until Israel agreed to allow aid trucks into northern Gaza.
Israel denied breaking the truce agreement.
An official spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Majed Al-Ansari, said: "After a delay in implementing the release of prisoners from both sides, the obstacles were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian communications with both sides.
"Tonight 39 Palestinian women and children will be released in exchange for the release of 13 Israeli hostages from Gaza."
Israel had also been accused of blocking aid from getting into Gaza, as well as flying drones over southern Gaza.
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Hamas released 24 hostages in total on Friday. Thirteen were from Israel, with the remainder made up of ten Thais and one Filipino.
Of the Israeli hostages, four are children, and the remaining nine are women.
Three of the women are mothers to the released children, and five of the rest are elderly. Some have serious health conditions.
The youngest of the hostages released is a two-year-old girl, and the oldest is an 85-year-old woman.
The freed hostages, who only make up about a tenth of the 240 people in captivity, have been handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas and are now in Israel.
Hamas is expected to release 50 hostages in total.
Meanwhile, 39 Palestinian prisoners were released in return.
