Ceasefire Day-1: Hamas releases 24 Israeli hostages, including Thai 12 citizens

Hamas released 24 Israeli hostages, including 12 Thai citizens on Friday, Day 1 of the start of the humanitarian pause in Gaza.

As reported, Israeli hostages in Gaza have been transferred to the Red Cross and are on the way to the border crossing with Egypt.

According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, in the latest development, the released Israeli captives are currently meeting representatives of Israel’s Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing.

Thai foreign ministry confirms 12 nationals entered Israel

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand has been notified by the Royal Thai Embassy, Tel Aviv, that 12 Thai nationals who were held hostage have been released, and have entered Israel via the Rafah Border Crossing. They are being transported to the processing point at Hatzerim Air Force Base. At this time, the gender and names of these Thais are not known.

“The 12 Thais will be taken to Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), where they will be met by Embassy officials. They are required to be under medical supervision for a period of 48 hours, without access to outsiders.

At least 23 Thai workers are believed to be among the about 240 people who were taken captive in Gaza on the October 7 attack. While 32 Thai workers are reported to have been killed in the assault.

According to the Thai foreign ministry, some 30,000 Thais have been employed in mainly Israel’s agricultural sector at the time of the attack. More than 8,600 Thai workers have been voluntarily repatriated since then.

Under an agreement with Israel, Thai workers are paid a minimum wage of 5,300 shekels a month ($2,000), six or seven times more than they earn at home.

Palestinians await for family members to be freed from Israeli imprisonment

As many as 39 women and minors are expected to be released under the Israel-Hamas truce which came into effect on Friday,

 

Earlier in the day, Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza’s largest hospital Al-Shifa, the health ministry said, on the first day of a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas, AFP reported.

Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said the Israeli military had withdrawn but the people remaining at Al-Shifa were in a battered complex whose “main generator is destroyed along with numerous buildings”.

WHO chief welcomes humanitarian pause, says ‘much more’ aid needed for Gaza