Israel said it expects Palestinian militant group Hamas to release more hostages on Saturday, a day after a four-day cease-fire began in the Gaza Strip.
Israel Defense Forces said it expects to receive about 13 captives a day until the total reaches “approximately 50.” Saturday’s release is expected to take place around 4 p.m. local time, similar to Friday’s, when Hamas set free 24 captives, including 10 Thais and one citizen of the Philippines, Al-Jazeera TV channel reported.
“We’ve held back all our firing in order for this four-day framework to continue,” IDF spokesperson Doron Spielman said at a press briefing. The truce appeared to be holding in much of Gaza, according to people living in the Palestinian enclave.
Late Friday, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had received a list of the next hostages to be released. Security officials were reviewing the document, according to a statement.
IDF’s Spielman said about 215 other captives are believed to still be in Gaza, with some possibly dead. They were all captured when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, triggering an Israeli bombardment and invasion of Gaza.
Under the cease-fire that went into effect on Friday, Israel released 39 jailed Palestinian women and minors and will continue to set free others in exchange for Israeli captives that Hamas is set to let go.
“It’s only a start, but so far it’s gone well,” US President Joe Biden said in comments from Nantucket, the Massachusetts island where he’s spending the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. “We expect more hostages to be released tomorrow — and more the day after that.” Biden said the timing for the release of US hostages was unclear.
Calling the agreement “the result of extensive American diplomacy,” Biden said he remains in contact with the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and Israel to ensure the effort “remains on track.”
The pause in fighting offers “a critical opportunity to deliver much-needed food, medicine, water and fuel,” Biden said, adding, “We are not wasting one single minute.”
The Israeli military said the hostages released Friday arrived in Israel and underwent initial medical assessments before being taken to hospitals, where they would be reunited with their families.
The pause in fighting was accompanied by a surge in humanitarian aid. Israel said 200 aid trucks went into southern Gaza via Egypt, in accordance with the terms of the truce deal. The UN also said 21 critically ill patients were evacuated from the north of Gaza.
The start of the truce was delayed by a day as the sides held last-minute negotiations via Qatar following an initial agreement in the early hours of Wednesday.
The pause in fighting marks the first major lull since the conflict began on Oct. 7. That day, Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union, attacked southern Israeli communities and army bases from Gaza. Israel said Hamas killed 1,200 people as well as taking the hostages.
Israel responded with a bombardment of the Gaza Strip, a densely packed enclave with about 2.3 million inhabitants. It also launched a ground offensive on the northern part of Gaza in late October. Almost 15,000 people have died in the enclave since the war began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
--With assistance from Fadwa Hodali.
