Hamas has released 24 hostages who had been held in the Gaza Strip and Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners, as a temporary ceasefire took hold after more than six weeks of war. In the first such exchange since Hamas seized more than 200 hostages in its deadly October 7 attack, the militant group set free 13 Israeli women and children on Friday, among them a two-year-old boy and five-year-old girl. It also released 10 Thai nationals and one Filipino. Qatar, which mediated the deal, added Israel had freed 39 Palestinian prisoners, all women and children.
SOURCE: FINANCIAL TIMES
