A new group of hostages held in Gaza was released on Sunday 27 November by Hamas, in exchange for a group of Palestinians held prisoner in Israel. On the diplomatic front, prospects of a potential truce extension are welcomed by all actors involved.

Hamas militants released a third group of hostages on Sunday with more Palestinian prisoners set to be freed in exchange, as a source close to the group said it was willing to prolong the truce.

The exchanges, occurring under a four-day ceasefire that started Friday, have been the first relief for captives’ families since the militant group attacked Israel on October 7, prompting devastating Israeli bombardments of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli officials said a total of 17 hostages were now back on Israeli territory.

United States President Joe Biden announced that the 13 released included a four-year old American girl.

The other four were released outside the terms of the truce—including one Russian-Israeli who Hamas said was freed “in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

Hamas Seeks to Extend Truce

Sunday’s releases bring the total number of Israelis freed under the deal to 39 since Friday.

In exchange, a further 39 Palestinian prisoners were freed on Sunday, the Israeli prison service said.

This followed the release of 78 other Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails over the past two days.

A source close to Hamas said the Islamist movement was willing to extend the current truce for up to four days beyond its initial expiry date.

Under the truce, 50 of the hostages held by the militants are to be freed over four days in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, with a built-in extension mechanism to prolong the process as long as at least 10 Israeli captives are released each day.

Israeli Leaders Tempered Hopes of an Offensive Halt

A Qatari operations team visited Israel to “coordinate with the parties on the ground and with counterparts in Doha to ensure the deal continues to move smoothly and to discuss further details of the ongoing deal,” according to a source with knowledge of the talks.

Israeli leaders have tempered hopes of a lasting halt to the offensive.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, “We continue until the end—until victory.”

Dressed in green military fatigues and surrounded by soldiers, he vowed to free all the hostages and “eliminate Hamas,” in footage posted online by his office.

He spoke while making the first visit to Gaza by an Israeli prime minister since 2005.

In the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis, residents received a text message from Israeli forces that said, “We know there are hostages being held in Khan Yunis. The army will neutralize anyone who has kidnapped hostages.”

Happiness at Hostage and Prisoner Release

Elsewhere in Gaza, residents ventured back to pick through the ruins of their homes among heaps of rubble following weeks of bombardment.

On the outskirts of Gaza City, families took to the road on foot to head south, pushing luggage and relatives in wheelchairs and carrying children in their arms.

In the previous round of captive releases, relatives voiced joy at the return of hostages, and cheering crowds greeted Palestinian prisoners as they left a jail in the West Bank.

Saturday’s releases went ahead despite a last-minute delay that highlighted the fragile nature of the process.

Hamas had accused Israel of breaking the terms of the agreement. Israel denied the allegation.

With AFP