JERUSALEM/GAZA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israeli authorities confirmed Sunday evening that Israeli soldiers received the third batch of hostages, including 13 Israelis, three Thais, and one Israeli-Russian man, released from the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military announced that the 13 Israeli hostages, comprising four women and nine children, have reached Israeli territory, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Among them, an 84-year-old woman who suffered from a medical condition was airlifted directly to Soroka Hospital in the southern Israeli city of Beer Sheva, the statement added.
Meanwhile, the other four hostages "are on their way to the Rafah Crossing" before being transferred to Israel, according to the Israeli army.
The four included three Thais who had worked in southern Israel before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and a 25-year-old Israeli-Russian man. Hamas stated that the dual-national, who was not included in the initial name list of the release, was freed following efforts by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said on Sunday in a statement that "in implementation of the commitments of the third day of the humanitarian truce agreement, 39 Palestinian civilians will be released in exchange for the return of 13 Israeli civilians from Gaza, in addition to a Russian national and three Thais who have already been handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross."
The release took place on the third day of a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas, which included the entry of desperately needed aid to Gaza and the release of about 50 Israeli hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners in several stages.
The weeks of Israeli bombardment in Gaza have led to the deaths of over 14,000 Palestinians, 40 percent of them children, while thousands remain missing, believed to be trapped beneath the rubble of the destroyed buildings, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, according to Israeli figures, about 1,200 people were killed, mainly in the initial Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that triggered this deadly conflict.
