Quartar announced the release of hostages in Gaza

 Qatar announced on Friday that they have successfully facilitated the release of 24 hostages, consisting of 13 Israelis, 10 Thais, and one Filipino. The hostages were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza by Hamas, with Qatar acting as the mediator in the deal. 

The foreign ministry spoke man, Majed Al Ansari, confirmed the release of the hostages, including 13 Israeli citizens, some of whom hold dual citizenship, along with 10 Thai citizens and a Filipino citizen. As part of the agreement, 39 women and children who were detained in Israeli jails have also been freed.

 Qatar has played a crucial role in the negotiations, working closely with the US and Egypt to secure the release of 50 civilian hostages from Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a four-day truce, and access to humanitarian aid. 

A reliable source has confirmed that the 10 Thais and one Filipino who were released are in addition to the 50 Israeli hostages who were scheduled to be freed.

 The release of these hostages was made possible through the efforts of the Thai foreign minister's visit to Qatar and the mediation by the Qataris and Egyptians.

 The number of hostages set to be released during the four-day truce is the largest since the attack by Hamas gunmen on Gaza's militarized border on October 7, which resulted in the deadliest attack in Israel's history. Israel claims that the attack claimed the lives of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and led to the hostage-taking of around 240 individuals, including elderly people and children. 

In response, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 15,000 people, including thousands of children, according to the Hamas government. Qatar has expressed its intention to extend the initial four-day truce if further agreements on hostage and prisoner exchanges can be reached.

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