Israel-Hamas war: Hostages, detainees freed as truce holds

A total of 28 released Palestinian detainees were taken from Israeli prisons to the West Bank on Friday, according to the AFP news agency.

Another 11 detainees were taken to east Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club advocacy group.

A total of 150 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released over the course of a four-day pause in fighting.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, Israel is currently holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since October 7. Israeli law allows for holding suspects for months without charge in administrative detention.

Among those released were prisoners arrested for offenses including attempted stabbings, stone throwings at Israeli soldiers or having contacts with hostile organizations, as well as 15 teenagers jailed for offenses including throwing stones at Israeli soldiers.

In the West Bank town of Beituna, hundreds of Palestinians poured out of their homes to celebrate, honking horns and setting off fireworks.

"I can't express how I feel. Thank God," 17-year-old Laith Othman, who was among those released, told the Reuters news agency.

The teenager was detained earlier this year on suspicion of throwing an incendiary device.

"The situation inside [prison] is very difficult," he added as he was carried along the street on another person's shoulders.

Others said they had mixed emotions.

"As a Palestinian, my heart is broken for my brothers in Gaza, so I can't really celebrate," Abdulqader Khatib, a United Nations worker whose son was also freed on Friday, told the Associated Press. 

His 17-year-old son, Iyas, had been taken into administrative detention without charges or trial and held based on secret evidence.

"But I am a father. And deep inside, I am very happy," he said.

US President Joe Biden said the release of the first hostages under the deal between Israel and the militant group Hamas was "a start" and said there were "real" chances to extend the truce in Gaza.

The current deal stipulates a four-day pause in fighting.

"We expect more hostages to be released tomorrow, and more the day after, and more the day after that," Biden said, adding that it was time to "renew" work on creating a two-state solution for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The United Nations said 137 trucks of humanitarian aid were unloaded in Gaza on Friday.

"During the humanitarian pause that has been in place since this morning, the UN was able to scale up the delivery of humanitarian assistance into and across Gaza," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement.

It said 129,000 liters (34,000 gallons) of fuel and four trucks of gas also crossed into Gaza.

It was the biggest humanitarian convoy to reach Gaza since October 7, the OCHA said.

"Hundreds of thousands of people were assisted with food, water, medical supplies and other essential humanitarian items," it added.

Four German-Israeli dual nationals were among the hostages released from Gaza on Friday, German media reported.

The reports are based on a list of 13 names released by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, on the sidelines of a Greens' party conference, confirmed four dual nationals were among those released. 

"I am immensely relieved that 24 hostages have just been released from Gaza, including four Germans, that a father, after 49 days of hell, of unbelievable anxiety, can finally hold his two little daughters and his wife safely in his arms again," she said, expressing her thanks to Qatar for its role in negotiating the release as well as Egypt and the International Red Cross. 

"There are still over 200 women and men, and especially children, in the hands of Hamas. Our thoughts are with them today and also with their families. As much as this day is a day of hope, it is not a day to breathe a sigh of relief," Baerbock said.

The released hostages whose family members said they had dual citizenship were: Aviv Asher, 2; Raz Asher, 5; and Doron Katz-Asher, 34; as well as Margalit Mozes, 77.

The hostages released under the truce deal between Israel and the militant group Hamas will likely experience trauma even after they return home, an expert told DW.

"We don't know that everyone will suffer from PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder], but presumably many people will," said Ruth Shidlo, a trauma therapist and clinical psychologist in Tel Aviv.

"A lot has to do with the resilience of each person and their nervous system," she added.

Shidlo told DW that this trauma could be compounded by the political and media attention that ensues.

"There is a real danger that that some people from the media may hound these people and do anything to get pictures and interviews," she said.

Shidlo said, "This unwanted attention and going after these people is just going to set them back further in whatever recovery they are trying desperately to be able to make."

Shidlo said this trauma could also extend to the hostages' family and friends and even the Israeli public more broadly.

"People just need a lot of time and a lot of loving support by their families, who should be guided in the process and worked with because they too are traumatized," she said. "It's not just the hostage returning, it's the whole family, the whole community. To some extent, the entire country is traumatized."

Israel has released 39 Palestinian detainees as part of the hostage deal with the militant group Hamas, Qatar said on Friday night.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majid al-Ansari confirmed "the release of 39 women and children detained in Israeli jails thus upholding the commitment of the first day of the agreement."

Qatar, along with Egypt, helped broker the deal and the four-day truce between Israel and Hamas.

Those released were among the some 7,200 Palestinians currently in Israeli jails, including about 2,000 arrested since October 7, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, an advocacy group.  Israeli law allows for holding suspects for months without charge in administrative detention.

Among the released were people arrested for offenses including attempted stabbings, stone throwings at Israeli soldiers or having contacts with hostile organizations, as well as 15 teenagers jailed for offenses including throwing stones at Israeli soldiers.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the 13 hostages released by Hamas earlier on Friday were in Israel. 

"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.

Israel was "committed to the return of all our abductees," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

"This is one of the goals of the war, and we are committed to achieving all the goals of the war," he said in a statement.

Israel said the released hostages were: Hanna Katzir, 77; Margalit Mozes, 77; Yafa Ader, 85; Hannah Perry, 79; Adina Moshe, 72; Danielle Aloni, 44, and Emilia Aloni, 5. Ruthi Monder, 78,  Keren Monder, 54, and Ohad Monder, 9. Aviv Asher, 2, Raz Asher, 5, and Doron Katz-Asher, 34.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has confirmed the transfer of 24 hostages out of Gaza and into Egypt.

"We have facilitated this release by transporting them from Gaza to the Rafah border, marking the real-life impact of our role as a neutral intermediary between the parties," the organization said on social media.

Earlier, the Red Cross said it was conducting a "multi-day operation" to facilitate the release of hostages held by Hamas from Gaza and the release of Palestinian detainees from Israeli jails.

"The deep pain that family members separated from their loved ones feel is indescribable," said Fabrizio Carboni, the International Committee of the Red Cross's regional director for the Middle East.

"We are relieved that some will be reunited after long agony."

Qatar, which played a key role in negotiating the release of Hamas' hostages, said 10 Thai nationals and one Filipino were freed. 

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said in a social media post that 12 Thai workers had been freed, two more than the figure given by the Qataris. No reason for the discrepancy was given.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says Madrid could recognize an independent Palestinian state even if the European Union does not.

"The time has come for the international community, and especially European countries, to take a decision on the recognition of the Palestinian state," he said while speaking at the Rafah crossing that links Egypt to the Gaza Strip. "Of course, if this doesn't happen Spain will make its own decisions," he added.

Sanchez also said a humanitarian cease-fire, a peace conference and the implementation of the two-state solution were the best way to end the decadeslong conflict in the Middle East. 

Later, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said that he summoned the ambassadors of Spain and Belgium over statements by Sanchez and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who also attended the press conference. 

"We condemn the false claims by the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium that give support to terrorism," Cohen said in a post on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Sanchez and De Croo ended their tour of the Middle East in Egypt on Friday. Earlier in the day they spoke with Palestinian officials in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, and on Thursday they met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

Israel, the United States, Germany and other nations as well as the European Union have designated Hamas a terror organization. Hamas has been in control of the Gaza Strip since 2007.

Israeli hostages released from Gaza will be accompanied by military officers "every step of the way," a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told DW on Friday afternoon.

"Once they cross over into Israeli territory, we will be taking them to an air base," said Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner.

"From there, there will be an initial medical assessment and a clarification of identities," he added. "And from there they will be taken to hospitals, and afterwards, to their families."

He said designated IDF officers will accompany the families "every step of the way." 

"Of course, we need to be very prepared for very different scenarios, issues of health, and of other issues of the individuals as they develop," he added.

As the release of hostages from Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails takes place, the IDF said it will maintain a defensive capability with the intent of resuming attacks against the militant Islamist group Hamas when the truce ends.

"One of our war goals is to bring home the hostages, and this is why it is absolutely reasonable for us to hold our fire, hold our positions, and enable the transfer of the hostages out of Gaza and to Israel safe and sound," Lerner said.

A dozen Thai hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 have been released, according to Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

"It has been confirmed by the security side and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that 12 Thai hostages are already released," he said in a post on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Embassy officials are on their way to pick them up in another hour. Their names and details should be known. Please stay tuned," the leader said.

The AFP news agency reported that a Hamas source confirmed that the Thai hostages had been released.

"Hamas made a gesture to also release some Thai foreigners," AFP cited the Hamas source as saying.

Reuters news agency cited an official as saying that the Thai citizens were all men and were freed following an agreement mediated by Qatar and Egypt. The release of the Thai nationals was separate from the deal struck between Hamas and Israel that led to the release of 13 Israeli women and children on Friday.

Around 30,000 Thais were working in Israel before the start of the war, mainly in agriculture, according to Thailand's Labor Ministry. The Thai Foreign Ministry said 39 of its citizens have been killed and 19 wounded in the war.

Thirteen Israeli hostages released from the Gaza Strip have crossed into Egypt, the Times of Israel reported. 

They had been held by Hamas for 49 days.

The AFP news agency cited Hamas sources as saying that the released hostages had been brought out of Gaza and "were handed over to the Egyptian side."

Thirteen hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 have been released as part of a four-day truce agreement with Israel.

Egypt's state information service earlier said 12 Thai citizens were to be released alongside the 13 Israeli captives.

The hostages were taken to the Rafah crossing with Egypt in preparation for their transfer to Israel.

Later on Friday, Israel is expected to release 39 Palestinian prisoners as part of the deal.

In total, 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed during the pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Twelve Thai nationals have been released from Gaza on Friday ahead of the release of 13 Israeli captives, according to the head of Egypt's state information service and Thai sources.

Thirty-nine Palestinian prisoners are also to be released by Israel.

The releases are part of a four-day cease-fire deal.

In all, 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed during the four-day truce.

DW spoke to journalist Hazem Balousha about Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel under a deal that led to a pause in fighting with Hamas.

The release is expected to start at the Ofer military jail in the occupied West Bank.

Israel's Justice Ministry has identified 300 Palestinian prisoners eligible for release. Of them, 123 are minors, with the youngest being 14 years old.

Balousha said prisoners released from the Ofer jail will be handed over to the Red Cross.

"According to the names [that] were released, most of them were arrested recently," he said, adding that some of the arrests were made after October 7.

He said one teenage girl was arrested after being accused of attempting to attack Israelis near Jerusalem. Another 14-year-old girl had been handed a 12-year sentence, according to Balousha.

The journalist said Palestinians were hopeful further releases could follow Friday's scheduled release. There are over 7,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails.

Balousha, who was speaking from the Jordanian capital Amman after leaving the Gaza Strip, said that people in the Palestinian enclave were both "in shock" at the scenes of destruction and "relieved" over the pause in fighting, and were hoping for an extension of the truce with Israel or a "complete cease-fire."