The 17 hostages freed today by Hamas are now in Israeli territory, 12 of whom were accompanied by special forces at the Hajerim base, one was taken directly to the hospital before while the remaining four, one Israeli and three foreign nationals, are at the Kerem Shalom crossing inside Israeli territory, the Israeli military said, and will be airlifted directly to hospitals.

On the third day the implementation of the agreement was completed smoothly with the hostages being handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas without delay.

12 of the hostages were taken directly to Israel and not from the passage of Rafa, next to the border fence in the central Gaza Strip. from where they were taken by the Israeli army to the Hajerim Base”.

According to the Israeli military, special forces took 12 of the Israeli hostages while an 84-year-old woman was airlifted to a hospital.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has tonight confirmed that it has facilitated the release and successfully transported 17 hostages from the Gaza Strip to Israel.

In return, they were released shortly before 20.00 tonight, 39 Palestinian prisoners. Buses were seen leaving the Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank, where the prisoners had been taken before their release. The (former) prisoners have already arrived in Beitunia.

According to the list released by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, the Israeli hostages who were released are four women and nine children, including 4-year-old American-Israeli Abigail. Ten of the 13 are members of three families.

Also freed were three Thais and a Russian-Israeli, Ron Krivoi – the Israeli military lists him as an “Israeli” while Russian authorities say he holds a Russian passport.

“(Krivoi’s) release took place in the context of a direct consultation between Russian representatives and Hamas,” said Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Hamas earlier said it released a Russian hostage in recognition of “the efforts” made by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his “support for the Palestinian struggle.”

These are the hostages who were released:

  • Avigail Idan, 4, whose parents were both murdered on October 7 with two siblings still alive, was abducted from Kfar Aza.
  • Hagar Brodetz, 40, and her children Ofri, 10, Yuval, 9, and Oriya, 4, were captured by Kfar Aza.
  • Chen Almog Goldstein, 48, and Agam, 17, Gal, 11, and Tal, 9, were abducted from Kfar Aza. Her husband, Nadav and daughter Yam were killed in the attack.
  • Alma Abraham, 84, hostage by Nahal Oz.
  • Aviva Siegel, 64, originally from South Africa, was abducted from Kfar Aza along with her husband, American citizen Keith Siegel, who is believed to still be in Gaza.
  • Sisters Ela, 8, and Dafna, 15, Elyakim, were kidnapped from Nahal Oz after their father, Noam, his partner, Dikla, and her son, Tomer, were murdered.
  • Rony Krivoi, 25, with dual Russian-Israeli citizenship, was working at the Supernova music festival when he was kidnapped.