Live Middle East. Israel attacks several Hezbollah targets, despite ceasefire

7 hostages transferred to the Red Cross

In Khan Younis, seven hostages were transferred to the Red Cross on Thursday afternoon. It concerns two Israelis and five foreigners, says the Israeli army. They are on their way to Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip around noon, and will then be taken to a military camp near the Gaza Strip. From there it goes to four different hospitals in Israel.

TV images showed that the transfer to the Red Cross was chaotic. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the “shocking scenes” in a press release.

The first hostage to be released in Khan Younis was Arbel Yehud, a 29-year-old Israeli woman who also has German nationality. Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old who also has German-Israeli nationality, and five Thai workers should also be among the released hostages.

According to Tel Aviv, Yehud had to be released last Saturday. The agreement that Hamas and Israel locked, writes that the citizens are first released. Instead, Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers at the end of last week. This Saturday the release of another three hostages is planned.

Earlier on Thursday, the extremist Palestinian organization Hamas in Jabalia, in the north of the Gaza Strip, released the Israeli soldier Agam Berger.

According to media reports, the American envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, would meet some released hostages.

In exchange for the three hostages, Israel will release 110 Palestinian prisoners. The Thai workers were released within an agreement between Hamas and Thailand.