The Israeli military said Hamas freed a second batch of 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals late saturday under a ceasefire agreement after the Palestine-based terrorist organization delayed the exchange for many hours and claimed that israel had broken the conditions of the truce accord. The liberated hostages, including four Thais, were brought to israel, according to the Israeli military. They were being sent to hospitals for monitoring and reunification with their families.

According to Al Jazeera, quoting Israeli jail officials, a second wave of 39 Palestinians were freed after Hamas released 13 Israeli captives and four foreigners from the Gaza Strip.


Top updates on Israel-Hamas war and truce deal:

• Following the delay in the exchange, Qatar, which helped negotiate the arrangement alongside egypt, said two mediators had cleared an impasse between israel and Hamas, according to The New York Times.

• Later, israel acknowledged that Hamas had handed up 13 Israelis to the international Committee of the red Cross in Gaza, including eight children and five women. According to Israeli authorities, they were brought in a convoy via the Rafah border to egypt and then to israel, where they were given to hospitals. Four Thai citizens were also freed.

• In the meantime, images on television showed Palestinian inmates being welcomed home in seized east Jerusalem. The most notable release was Israa Jaabis, 38, who was sentenced to 11 years in jail for detonating a petrol cylinder in her car at a checkpoint in 2015, injuring a police officer.

• Earlier, Hamas said it would postpone Saturday's anticipated second wave of captive releases until israel satisfied all truce terms, including agreeing to let relief trucks into northern Gaza.

• According to Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan, just 65 of the 340 assistance trucks that have entered Gaza since friday have reached northern Gaza, which is "less than half of what israel agreed on."




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