A video showed the first group of freed Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack.
Hamas freed thirteen Israeli hostages Friday and crossed over the Gaza border into Egypt on Red Cross trucks around 6 p.m. local time, CBS News confirmed. Footage posted by CBS News showed four Red Cross trucks carrying a group of freed hostages across the Rafah crossing.
JUST IN: The first group of hostages taken captive by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel were released and arrived at the Rafah crossing inside Red Cross vehicles hours after the temporary four-day cease-fire took effect Friday morning. https://t.co/PWoMp7GEkd pic.twitter.com/wsSgWkHVnc
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 24, 2023
The International Committee of the Red Cross said it “began carrying out a multi-day operation to facilitate the release and transfer of hostages held in Gaza and of Palestinian detainees to the West Bank,” CBS News reported.
Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesman Dr. Majed Al Ansari said a total of 24 hostages have been released by Hamas as part of the four-day ceasefire Israel and Hamas agreed upon Tuesday in order to return for the release of hostages. Aside from the thirteen Israeli hostages, Hamas also freed ten Thai hostages and one Filipino hostage, Al Ansari said.
Those released include 13 Israeli citizens, some of whom have dual citizenship, in addition to 10 Thai citizens and a Filipino citizen.
— د. ماجد محمد الأنصاري Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) November 24, 2023
Thirty-nine women and children have also been released from hostage, the foreign ministry spokesperson said. He said the release has shown that both sides have been “upholding the commitment on the first day” of the four-day ceasefire agreement.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said on social media that the release hostages have reached Israeli territory and are now being escorted by IDF forces.
“The abductees who returned to Israel are escorted by IDF forces and are now in Israeli territory. An elite unit of the IDF and a force of the Shin Bet are now accompanying the abductees returning to Israel, after undergoing an initial assessment of their medical condition in Israel. Our forces are accompanying the returnees until they reach their families in the hospitals,” the IDF said on Twitter. (RELATED: ‘Everyday Is Like An Eternity’: Families Of Hostages Held In Gaza Speak Out About Their Grief)
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari posted a video of the bus taking the hostages back to Israel.
רגע כניסת השבים לשטח מדינת ישראל: pic.twitter.com/V0usYRtIke
— דובר צה״ל דניאל הגרי – Daniel Hagari (@IDFSpokesperson) November 24, 2023
The ceasefire began at 7:00 a.m. local times Friday, in which Israel and Hamas agreed to release a group of 50 hostages held in Palestine in exchange for the release of 150 Palestinians currently held in Israeli prisons on convictions of attempted murder, violence, throwing stones and “harming regional security.” Israel received a list of the hostages expected to be released.
Four hostages—two Americans and two Israelis—were released by Hamas on Oct. 20 and Oct. 23, and Israel rescued a hostage on Oct. 30. Hamas took about 240 people captive in the Oct. 7 attack, and three Americans are expected to be among the 50 released over the weekend, CBS News reported.