Hamas released 24 hostages on the first day of a ceasefire with Israel on Friday, but no American nationals were included in that group, Fox News reported.
The freed hostages included 13 Israelis, 10 Thai nationals, and one Filipino citizen. They were handed over to the Red Cross and transported from Gaza into Egypt, according to Fox.
The Israeli hostages were subsequently moved to Israel for medical treatment and are now under the care of the Israel Defense Forces, the outlet noted.
“We are doing all we can, including to secure the release of Americans,” a U.S. official told Fox News after Hamas released the first tranche of hostages. “We are focused on it hourly.”
No American hostages freed by Hamas on day one of cease-fire with Israel https://t.co/KAUuzh4k6W
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 24, 2023
This exchange of hostages is part of a four-day ceasefire, which was negotiated with significant U.S. involvement, Fox noted. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas agreed to release 50 women and children kidnapped during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel in exchange for 150 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, per the outlet. (RELATED: Video Shows First Group Of Freed Israeli Hostages Crossing Into Egypt)
“Israel will continue its war on Hamas, and we will not stop until we achieve our two main goals, overthrowing the rule of Hamas and returning all the abductees back to us, safe and sound,” Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said, according to Fox News.