On Sunday, Hamas released 17 more hostages in a third exchange under a four-day truce that the U.S. said it hoped would be extended. Those released include 14 Israelis and the first American. Israel, on its part, released 39 Palestinian prisoners.
Most captives were handed over directly to Israel. They waved to a cheering crowd as they arrived at an air force base. Others crossed through Egypt.
Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl, is the youngest hostage released. She has dual Israeli-American citizenship. Her parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on October 7.
Earlier in the day, thirteen Israelis and four Thai nationals freed from Hamas imprisonment arrived in Israel. After leaving Gaza, TV footage showed hostages on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing.
Of the 13 Israelis released, six were females, and seven were children and teenagers. Among the Palestinian prisoners released from two Israeli prisons, 33 were children, and six were females, the Palestinian news agency WAFA said.
On Friday, in Gaza, a four-day cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war started. It was a part of a deal that Qatar helped broker. 24 hostages were freed. These include 10 Thai citizens, one Filipino citizen, and 13 Israeli citizens. Later in the day, Israel released 39 Palestinian captives.
Over four days, 50 Israeli hostages are to be exchanged for 150 Palestinian captives.