The Israeli military had earlier confirmed the release of three Israeli citizens, along with five Thai nationals.
\n Tel aviv
\nThe Israeli government has commenced the release of 110 Palestinian prisoners, following a delay.
\nThis comes after the Israeli military confirmed the release of three Israeli citizens\u2014one male and two female\u2014along with five Thai nationals who had been held captive in the Gaza Strip.
\nEarlier, Israel postponed the release of Palestinian prisoners following chaotic scenes during the handover process.
\nAmong the freed were Arbel Yehud, 29, who had been abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas-attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Gadi Moses, 80, along with five Thai nationals working on Israeli farms.
\nThe tense handover took place in the southern city of Khan Younis, where Yehud struggled to walk through a surging crowd of onlookers as armed militants handed her over to the Red Cross. The chaotic scenes led Israeli officials to delay the release of 110 Palestinian prisoners scheduled for Thursday.
\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the delay to ensure the safe exit of Israeli hostages in future stages.
\nAs the hostages were handed over, the family of one of the Thai workers anxiously watched a livestream from Thailand. Wiwwaro Sriaoun, the mother of one of the Thai nationals, prayed for her son\u2019s safe return, watching the scene unfold on her phone.
\nNetanyahu condemned the chaotic handover, emphasizing the need for the safety of hostages. \u201cAnyone who hurts a hostage will face death,\u201d he warned, urging mediators to prevent such scenes in the future.
\nIn a separate incident, Israeli soldier Agam Berger, captured during the October 7 assault, was also released and handed to the Red Cross. A video released by Netanyahu\u2019s office showed a tearful and relieved Berger reunited with her family.
\nDespite Israel\u2019s military setbacks, including the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Al-Sinwar, the group remains entrenched in Gaza. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri claimed that the killing of leaders only strengthens their resolve.Arbel Yehoud and Gadi Moses, hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, and who are to be released as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, are seen at an unspecified location in this screengrab from video released January 30, 2025. Photo: Reuters
\nThe release of Palestinian prisoners, expected to include minors and convicted militants, was initially delayed but later confirmed to proceed at 5 PM local time. The prisoners are expected to be transferred to either Gaza or the West Bank.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Israeli military had earlier confirmed the release of three Israeli citizens, along with five Thai nationals. Tel aviv The Israeli government has commenced the release of 110 Palestinian prisoners, following a delay. This comes after the Israeli military confirmed the release of three Israeli citizens\u2014one male and two female\u2014along with five Thai nationals who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":458646,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-458633","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n