According to Israeli media, the militant Hamas organization freed the first group of captives under the terms of the cease-fire agreement on Friday. Among them were 13 Israelis who had been detained in the Gaza Strip for almost seven weeks.
Israeli security officers were cited by the media.
Additionally, 12 Thai nationals were let free, as stated by Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
During the four-day truce, 50 prisoners are expected to be released in total.
As part of the agreement, Israel would release 150 Palestinians over the course of the next four days. On Friday, 39 inmates are scheduled to be released.
Beginning on Friday, Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day cease-fire, which made it possible for much-needed aid to enter Gaza and paved the way for the release of scores of terrorists and Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.
In the hours following the start of the truce, there were no reports of combat. The agreement provided some respite to the 2.3 million residents of Gaza, who have been subjected to weeks of Israeli shelling and depleting supplies of basic commodities. It also provided some comfort to Israeli families who were concerned about loved ones who may have been captured after Hamas’ October 7 onslaught, which started the conflict.
The first exchange Friday afternoon would involve swapping 39 Palestinian prisoners — 24 women, including some convicted of attempted murder for attacks on Israeli forces, and 15 teenagers jailed for offenses like throwing stones — for 13 Israeli hostages, Palestinian authorities said.
Just before that exchange was set to happen, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin later said in a tweet that 12 Thai nationals were also released. An Israeli official confirmed that the Thai captives left Gaza and were en route to a hospital in Israel. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to discuss the releases with the media.
The truce raised hopes of eventually winding down the conflict, which has flattened vast swaths of Gaza, fueled a surge of violence in the occupied West Bank and stirred fears of a wider conflagration across the Middle East. Israel, however, has said it is determined to resume its massive offensive once the cease-fire ends.
