Key Points
- Hamas freed 24 hostages from Gaza on the first day of the truce, while Israel released 38 Palestinians.
- Biden says there was a “real” chance of extending the truce.
- The UN humanitarian office said 137 trucks of goods offloaded in Gaza, the biggest convoy received since 7 October.
The pause in the fighting was the first such break, with both sides saying hostilities would resume as soon as the truce ends. United States President Joe Biden expressed hope the pause could be extended, however.
They were then taken to Israel for medical checks and reunions with relatives.
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An International Red Cross vehicle reportedly carrying hostages released by Hamas crosses the Rafah border point in the Gaza Strip towards Egypt on Friday. Source: Getty / AFP
Qatar, which acted as mediator for the truce deal, said 13 Israelis had been released, some with dual nationality, as well as 10 Thais and a Philippine national – farm workers employed in southern Israel when they were seized.
Biden said there was a “real” chance of extending the truce, adding that the pause was a critical opportunity to get humanitarian aid into Gaza.
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Doron Katz and her daughters, Aviv and Raz Asher Katz (right), were also released by Hamas on Friday. Source: AAP
He declined to speculate how long the Israel-Hamas war would last. Asked at a press conference what his expectations were, he said Israel’s goal of eliminating Hamas was legitimate but difficult.
“Today’s developments represent important progress and Australia welcomes them.”
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Palestinian prisoners (centre) released from the Israeli Ofer military facility in exchange for hostages freed by Hamas in Gaza on Friday. Source: Getty / AFP
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said 196 trucks of humanitarian aid carried food, water and medical supplies through the Rafah crossing on Friday, the biggest such convoy into Gaza since Hamas’ assault on Israel and Israel’s subsequent bombardment of the territory.
Hamas, in its entirety, is designated as a terrorist organisation by countries including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. New Zealand and Paraguay list only its military wing as a terrorist group. In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly voted against a resolution condemning Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist organisation.
Mixed emotions after hostage-for-prisoner swap
“I am jealous. And I am sad. Mostly sad that Omer is still not coming home.”
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Keren Munder and her son Ohad were two of the hostages, among several others, who were freed by Hamas on Friday. Source: AAP / AP
Israeli tallies show Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people in the October attack and took about 240 hostages. Since then, Israel has rained bombs on the Hamas-ruled enclave, killing about 14,000 Gazans, roughly 40 per cent of them children, Palestinian health authorities say.
Those released on Friday were exchanged for 24 jailed Palestinian women and 15 teenagers. In at least three cases, before the prisoners were released, Israeli police raided their families’ homes in Jerusalem, witnesses said.
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Marah Bkeer (left) a Palestinian detained in Israeli prison for eight years and released on Friday. Source: Getty / AFP
“There is no real joy, even this little joy we feel as we wait,” said Sawsan Bkeer, the mother of 24-year-old Palestinian prisoner Marah Bkeer, jailed for eight years on knife and assault charges in 2015.
A source briefed on the talks said the release of the Thai workers was unrelated to the truce talks and followed a separate track mediated by Egypt and Qatar. Thailand’s government said 20 of its nationals remained captive.