Hamas releases 24 hostages on the first day of Gaza truce

Hamas fighters released 24 hostages on Friday during the first day of the war's first truce, including 13 Israelis, 10 people from Thailand and a Filipino citizen, according to Qatar and other officials.

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Twenty-four hostages were transferred out of Gaza and handed over to Egyptian authorities at the Rafah border crossing, accompanied by eight staff members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a four-car convoy, the ICRC said.

Qatar, which acted as mediator for the truce deal, said 13 Israelis had been released, some with dual nationalities, plus 10 Thais and a Filipino.

Thirty-nine Palestinian women and children were released from Israeli jails in return for the 13 Israelis, Qatar said.

Israel released the names of the Israeli hostages, which included four children accompanied by four family members, and five other elderly women.

"The released hostages underwent an initial medical assessment inside Israeli territory_ They will continue to be accompanied by IDF soldiers as they make their way to Israeli hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families," the military said.