Hamas has announced in an official statement that it successfully transferred the second batch of Israeli and foreign hostages to the Red Cross.
A total of 17 hostages, comprising 13 Israelis and four Thais, have safely entered Egypt and are currently en route to Israel, as reported by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on its X account late Saturday.
These 17 individuals constitute the second group of hostages repatriated to Israel as part of an exchange initiative for Palestinian prisoners, as outlined by the Xinhua news agency.
Although the exchange was originally scheduled for around 4 p.m. local time on Saturday, it encountered a delay of several hours. This postponement followed accusations from Hamas, asserting that Israel had failed to adhere to the terms outlined in a four-day humanitarian cease-fire agreement. The agreement had been mutually accepted by both parties on Wednesday, culminating after more than six weeks of intense conflict.
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