Israel has released Palestinian prisoners as part a temporary ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Qatari and Israeli officials confirmed a group of 39 prisoners that included women and teenage boys have been released from three prisons. This came after Red Cross and Qatari officials said 24 hostages — including 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and one Filipino — had been released by Hamas.
The hostages crossed into Egypt before being transferred to southern Israel. The White House said it’s “working by the hour” to get Americans to be included in the first group of 50 hostages. The swap keeps the agreement for a four-day pause in fighting intact.
President Biden says Hamas wants to disrupt a deal to normalize ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia. That’s what he told reporters Friday while speaking on the release of hostages held by the Palestinian militant group. Biden says that’s a major reason why Hamas brutally attacked Israel in early October.
The Biden administration has pushed for the normalization of ties between the two countries, which are Washington’s two most powerful allies in the Middle East.
