Hamas Releases 3 More Hostages... 4th Exchange with 90 Prisoners (Comprehensive)

Palestinian armed group Hamas has released three additional hostages in accordance with a ceasefire agreement with Israel.

Flames are rising due to Israeli airstrikes in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Photo by Yonhap News

According to major foreign media on the 1st (local time), Hamas handed over three hostages to the Israeli military through the Red Cross in Khan Yunis and Gaza City in the Gaza Strip on the same day.

The released hostages are Yarden Bivas (35), French-Israeli Ofer Calderon (54), and American-Israeli Keith Siegel (65). They were kidnapped by armed militants at Nir Oz and Kfar Aza kibbutz (collective farms) during Hamas's surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel plans to release 90 Palestinian prisoners.

This hostage release is the fourth since the ceasefire took effect on the 19th of last month. In the first phase of the 42-day ceasefire, Hamas agreed to release 33 hostages, and Israel agreed to release 1,904 Palestinian prisoners.

Previously, both sides released 15 hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in three separate rounds. Additionally, they agreed to transfer 50 Palestinian children in need of medical treatment and 61 guardians through Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip to Egypt on the same day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.