Gaza ceasefire: Hamas to free 8 hostages; Israel will release 110 prisoners

Hamas to release Israeli and Thai hostages in Gaza ceasefire, with Israel expected to release Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas began the process of freeing three more Israeli hostages and five Thai captives on Thursday (January 30, 2025), the third such release since a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took hold earlier this month. Israel was expected to release another 110 Palestinian prisoners.

The truce is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas, whose October 7, 2023, attack into Israel sparked the fighting. It has held despite a dispute earlier this week over the sequence in which the hostages were released.

Hamas handed female Israeli soldier Agam Berger, 20, to the Red Cross at a ceremony in the heavily destroyed urban refugee camp of Jabaliya in northern Gaza. The Israeli government later confirmed that Berger was with its forces.

Another ceremony was planned in the southern city of Khan Younis, in front of the destroyed home of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Both were attended by hundreds of people, including masked militants and onlookers.

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In Israel, people cheered, clapped and whistled at a square in Tel Aviv where supporters of the hostages watched Ms. Berger’s handover on big screens next to a large clock that’s counted the days the hostages have been in captivity. Some held signs saying: “Agam we’re waiting for you at home.”

Ms. Berger was among five young, female soldiers abducted in the October 7, 2023, attack. The other four were released on Saturday (January 25, 2025). The other two Israelis set to be released Thursday (January 30, 2025) are Arbel Yehoud, 29, and Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old man.