Hamas hands over 13 more Israeli hostages and several foreign nationals after initial delay

25 November 2023, 21:09 | Updated: 26 November 2023, 00:04

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

Hamas has handed over 13 Israeli hostages and several foreign nationals after initially delaying the release over Israel's 'unwillingness to let aid into Gaza'.

The Qatar Foreign Ministry confirmed on Saturday evening that the hostages had been handed over to the Red Cross.

It comes after Hamas released 24 hostages in total on Friday. Thirteen were from Israel, with the remainder made up of ten Thais and one Filipino.

Israel's Defence Forces (IDF) has confirmed Israeli nationals are on the way to the Rafah crossing via Egypt and that 39 Palestinian prisoners have also been released.

Read More: Which hostages have been released?

Hamas's military wing, the Qassam Brigades, initially 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.

Read More: Emotional moment nine-year-old Israeli reunites with father for the first time after being released by Hamas

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Israel had also been accused of blocking aid from getting into Gaza, as well as flying drones over southern Gaza.

Hamas is expected to release 50 hostages in total.

Today is the second day of an agreed four-day pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which broke out after the group carried out a terror attack on October 7.

Some 1,200 Israelis were killed in the attack, with around 240 people - Israelis and foreign nationals - taken hostage.

Around 14,500 people have been killed in retaliatory strikes on Gaza since, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.