Eight hostages are released from Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners

Hamas released eight hostages on Thursday — five Thai farm workers and three dual German-Israeli nationals — in exchange for 110 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

This is the third round of exchanges in the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which is now in its second week.

The chaotic sight of armed fighters escorting Israeli hostages through a crowd of thousands of onlookers caused Israeli leaders to briefly delay the release of the Palestinian prisoners, underscoring the fragility of the current truce.

Also Thursday, Hamas confirmed for the first time that Israel killed the head of its military wing, Mohammed Deif, in an airstrike last year. Deif was one of the alleged masterminds of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.

Source » apnews.com