AMN/ WEB DESK
The latest swap of hostages held by terror group Hamas for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel took place last evening as part of an ongoing cease-fire agreement between the warring sides. Israeli Military said, 10 Israeli citizens including nine women and a 17-year-old girl as well as two Thai nationals were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza and were back in Israeli territory. Later, Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners. This brings the total number of prisoners released by Israel to 180.
The initial four-day truce agreement was scheduled to end on Tuesday, but key mediator Qatar announced that the ceasefire has been prolonged by 48 hours and Palestinian terror group Hamas confirmed it in a statement.
A total of 81 hostages, including 61 Israelis, held in Gaza have been released during an ongoing truce between Israel and Hamas. All of the released are women and children so far.
Tuesday was the fifth consecutive day during which Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners. A spokesman for the Israeli government said that it would be open to an additional five days of truce under the current hostage-prisoner exchange agreement. However Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned that its military operations will continue in Gaza once the truce ends and until Hamas is completely destroyed. Hamas officials in Gaza said 1,500 people are missing and 14,500 others have been killed during the Israeli military campaign. Hamas first crossed the border, carrying out a deadly terror attack in Israel on 7th of October in which 1,200 people were killed while the terror outfit took 240 people hostage.