Hamas Releases 25 Hostages, Aid Supplies Reach Gaza

The New York Times reports:

Twenty-five hostages held in Gaza, including 12 Thai nationals and 13 other women and children, were released from captivity on Friday, the Egyptian government said, the first people to be freed under a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that took effect hours earlier.

The hostages were transferred to Egypt as part of a prisoner exchange that was set to see 39 Palestinian prisoners and detainees released from Israeli custody on the first day of a four-day truce. All the released hostages were expected to be swiftly moved to Israel to receive urgent medical care.

The cease-fire that took effect Friday morning has already enabled the delivery of more aid supplies to Gaza, where roughly two-thirds of its 2.2 million people have been displaced by the war. By the afternoon, dozens of trucks carrying humanitarian aid had entered Gaza from Egypt, a spokesman for the border crossing, Wael Abu Omar, said by phone.

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Video of the Red Cross vehicles carrying Israeli hostages via Al Arabiya pic.twitter.com/fgoILTAa5t

— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) November 24, 2023

New video shows a convoy of Red Cross vehicles crossing into Egypt after 13 Israeli hostages were released by Hamas. @ErinNBCNews reports: pic.twitter.com/XbnAp8DUua

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) November 24, 2023