By Jerald Jimenez
Nov 27, 2023, 1:51 PM EST
The Hamas terrorist group handed over 11 Israeli citizens to the International Red Cross this Monday, as part of the ceasefire agreement it has maintained with Israel since last Friday, in what has been the fourth exchange of hostages that has occurred within the framework of the truce.
The ceasefire agreement, which was due to expire this Monday, has been extended until Wednesday, as announced this Monday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, which acts as an intermediary between both parties.
The agreement involves the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, in which for each day of truce, Hamas agrees to release at least 10 Israeli hostages, while Israel does the same with about 15 Palestinian prisoners.
So far, Hamas has released 58 hostages during the first three days of the ceasefire, of which 40 are Israelis and 18 are foreign citizens. Israel, for its part, has released about 150 Palestinian prisoners, most of them convicted of minor crimes or without charges.
The hostages have been handed over to the International Red Cross, which has transferred them to Israel through a border crossing with Egypt. There, they have been received with emotion by their family and friends, who had not heard from them for weeks.
The Israeli hostages were captured during the Hamas surprise attack on October 7, which consisted of the launching of rockets, the use of explosive drones and the infiltration of commandos through underground tunnels.
Israel, for its part, declared a state of war, and responded with aerial bombardments, ground attacks and special operations, despite strong resistance from Hamas.
According to figures from the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, more than 14,000 people have died, while on Israel’s side, around 1,200 civilians have lost their lives.
With information from Fox News