The Process of Releasing Hamas Hostages Begins; 13 Israelis and 12 Thais on the First Day

The office of the Israeli Prime Minister announced on Friday, December 3, that all 13 Israeli hostages scheduled for release under the agreement are now with the Red Cross. According to American and Israeli media reports, the first group of Israeli hostages is now with the staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross and is en route from Khan Younis in southern Gaza to the Rafah crossing towards Israel. Thailand also confirmed the release of 12 of its citizens who had been taken hostage by Hamas. Srettha Thavisin, the Prime Minister of Thailand, stated on Friday, December 3, that he received confirmation of the release of 12 Thai citizens from Gaza. Thavisin wrote in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter): "I have received confirmation from the National Security Team and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the release of 12 Thai hostages." He added that staff from the Thai embassy are on their way to retrieve them. Egypt had previously stated that the 12 Thai citizens taken hostage by Hamas are in addition to the 13 hostages scheduled for release on Friday. Egyptian officials have also confirmed that Hamas has handed over 25 individuals it had taken hostage from Israel. According to the Wall Street Journal, Hamas delivered the hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza to be taken to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, where the Israeli army will identify them and conduct initial medical examinations. Qatar, the main mediator in the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, had previously stated that both sides would begin a four-day ceasefire on the morning of Friday, December 3, followed by the release of the first group of Israeli hostages. Under this agreement, approximately 50 women and children under 19 years old taken hostage by Hamas will be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and teenagers detained in Israel. Following the deadly terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of around 240 others, Israel went to war against Hamas and began a ground invasion of Gaza aimed at destroying this Islamist group. Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union, the United States, and Israel. According to this report, Hamas is set to release hostages in groups of 12 each day during this four-day pause, which both sides have termed "humanitarian." Israel announced that for every additional group of ten hostages released, this pause would be extended by one day. Hamas stated that Israel has agreed to halt flights over northern Gaza from 10 AM to 4 PM GMT each day of this agreement, and all air traffic in the south will be halted for the entire duration. Hamas said that Israel has agreed not to attack or arrest anyone in Gaza, and people can move freely along Salah al-Din Street, the main road that many Palestinians have used to flee from north to south. Mohammed al-Khalifi, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Qatar and the chief negotiator in the ceasefire talks, stated that there will be no attacks or military movements during these four days. He said that Qatar hopes this agreement will "plant the seeds for a more comprehensive agreement and a permanent ceasefire." Majid al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters in Doha that an agreement has been reached on the list of all civilians to be released from Gaza. He said that Qatar hopes to negotiate the next agreement for the release of more hostages from Gaza by the fourth day of the ceasefire. Qatar stated that the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza will work to facilitate the release of the hostages. The hostages are expected to be transferred through Egypt, the only country besides Israel that shares a border with Gaza. Additionally, during the ceasefire, trucks loaded with aid and fuel will enter Gaza. The armed wing of Hamas announced on Thursday that 200 aid trucks and four fuel trucks will enter Gaza daily. The office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, stated on Thursday that Israel has received the initial list of hostages for release from Gaza. An American official stated that among the 50 women and children under 19 years old being released by Hamas, there are three American citizens, including a girl who will turn four on Friday. In addition to the Israeli civilians and soldiers abducted on October 7, more than half of the nearly 240 hostages are foreign and dual nationals from about 40 countries, including the United States, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Chile, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, and Israel. Israel has provided a list of about 300 detained Palestinians who may be released. This figure is double the number of women and minors that were initially agreed upon for release, and it stated that it expects more than 50 hostages to be released under this agreement. According to Reuters, the Palestinian Prisoners Association reported that as of Wednesday, 7,200 Palestinians were in Israeli custody, including 88 women and 250 children aged 17 and under. Qatar plays a key mediating role. Hamas has a political office in Doha, and the Qatari government has kept its communication channels with Israel open, even though this country has not normalized its relations with Israel unlike some other Gulf Arab states. The United States has also played an important role, with President Joe Biden being in constant contact with the Emir of Qatar and Netanyahu in the weeks leading up to the agreement. Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel and a long-time mediator in the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, also participated in these negotiations. This agreement was announced 46 days after Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, which has been one of the most severe conflicts between the two sides. Hamas, backed financially and militarily by the Islamic Republic, targeted Israel with terrorist attacks on October 15. This group killed at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 240 hostages, including children, women, and the elderly. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. Initial negotiations for an agreement between Israel and Hamas began a few days after the October 15 attack, but progress was slow. American officials stated that this was partly because communications between the parties involved had to be conducted through Doha or Cairo, and sufficient time had to be allocated for every detail, including compiling a complete list of hostages that Hamas had taken. According to Reuters, even with the agreement, the ceasefire is temporary. Hamas has stated that throughout this period, "its fingers will remain on the trigger." Israel has also stated that the war will continue until all hostages are released and Hamas is eradicated.