Hamas releases first three French hostages
Hamas releases three French hostages (photo: GettyImages)
Hamas has released three French minors from captivity as part of the temporary ceasefire agreement with Israel, states French President Emmanuel Macron.
"Eitan, 12 years old, Erez, 12 years old, Sahar, 16 years old. Among the hostages released today are three of our young compatriots. We are extremely pleased with this news. We remain fully mobilized to secure the release of all hostages," he wrote.
Militants abducted Erez Calderon with his sister Sahar and their father from the Kibbutz Nir Oz near the Gaza Strip on October 7. Additionally, 12-year-old Eitan Yahalom was kidnapped with his father from there as well. The fate of the adults remains unknown.
Five other French and dual-citizen individuals are still missing.
Hostage release during ceasefire
This week, Israel signed an agreement with Hamas for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages. The first exchange took place on November 24, with Hamas releasing 24 individuals, including 13 Israeli citizens and 11 foreigners, who were transported to Israeli hospitals to reunite with their families.
On November 25, the Red Cross received a second group of 17 hostages released by Hamas, including four foreigners.
Additionally, on November 26, Hamas freed another 17 hostages, comprising both Israelis and foreign citizens.
According to media reports, Israel released 39 Palestinian minors from prisons as part of the hostage exchange agreement with Hamas.
Yesterday, the Biden administration confirmed that Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for an additional two days.
For more details on the agreements between Israel and Hamas and how long the conflict may continue, you can read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
