In a significant development in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals, were released by Hamas on the second day of a four-day truce. In return, Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners. The exchange, however, was not without its share of controversy. The hostages were released hours later than expected after Hamas accused Israel of violating the exchange agreement, a claim that Israeli officials denied. The situation was resolved after Qatari and Egyptian mediators addressed Hamas' concerns.
Among the released Israelis were seven children and six women, most from Kibbutz Be'eri. The most prominent individual released was Israa Jaabis, 38, who had been imprisoned since 2015 after being convicted of carrying out a bombing attack that wounded an Israeli police officer and left Jaabis with severe burns on her face and hands.
The truce was briefly endangered by a dispute about aid delivery into Gaza. Despite this, Israel has vowed to destroy the Hamas militants who run Gaza, launching a ground offensive in the north. Israel has also stated that the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive and complete its goals of returning all hostages and destroying Hamas' military and governing capabilities.
In a separate development, the United Nations reported that 61 trucks delivered food, water, and emergency medical supplies to northern Gaza. However, the conflict has not been without its casualties. Six Palestinians were killed in Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank, adding to the human toll of the conflict.