Israel-Hamas War LIVE updates: Hamas due to release 13 Israeli hostages

Israel Defense Forces have reposted the amount of humanitarian aid that entered Gaza on first day of truce.

Egypt believes that the ongoing four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, can be possibly extended for one or two days. Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS) revealed that the country was trying to convince all parties to reach an agreement on the same, reported Reuters.

A total of 150 Palestinian prisoners will be released during the four-day truce in exchange of 50 Israeli hostages.

Israel has shared the crimes committed by the prisoners set to be released.

Israel shared an emotional video of a boy hostage’s reunion with his father.

Israel Defense Forces have shared a message on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Amid the ongoing four-day truce between Israel and Hamas, Israel Defense Forces said it expects to receive about 13 hostages a day until the total reaches “approximately 50.”

On Saturday which is day two of the truce, hostage release is expected to take place around 4 p.m. local time, similar to Friday’s, when Hamas set free 24 captives, including 10 Thais and one citizen of the Philippines, Al-Jazeera TV channel reported.

An Israeli hostage girl named Raz Asher revealed how she dreamt of reaching Israel while in captivity under Hamas. Raz was released with her two-year-old sister, Aviv and mother Doron on Friday, reported Reuters.

“I dreamt we came home,” Raz told her father, Yoni. “Now the dream came true,” he replied.

Palestinians in Gaza are using the four-day ceasefire to pick through rubble of their homes.

“Where will we live? Where will we go? We are trying to collect bits of wood to build a tent to shelter us, but to no avail. There is nothing to shelter a family,” shared a victim of the war in Gaza, as quoted by Reuters.

The Prime Minister of Israel’s official account reposted a tweet depicting contrast between Israelis and Palestinians.

A Thai worker named Vetoon Phoome made a video call to his family after he was released by Hamas as part of the deal with Israel. On the first day of the truce, Hamas released 10 Thai hostages.

“He told me not to cry, to tell mother I’m coming back,” Vetoon’s sister, Roongarun Wichagern, told Reuters.

“He said, ‘I’m not dead, I’m not dead’,” Roongarun revealed.

In a video post on X(formerly Twitter), Israel has highlighted the violence against Israeli women and urged UN Women to break their silence.

Israel has urged the world community to support women who have been victims of sexual and physical violence. “It doesn’t matter what language you speak,” posted Israel on X(formerly Twitter).

A massive Pro-Palestinian rally is set to take place in London on Saturday. Thousands of protestors will reportedly turn up for the march, amid heavy police presence.

Israel has meticulously planned the reception of the hostages.

Israel has shared a video clip of the moment when 13 Israeli hostages freed by Hamas, entered Israel on the first day of the four-day truce.

On X(formerly Twitter), Israel has shared pictures of 13 Israeli hostages freed by Hamas on the first day of the four-day truce.

Israel shared that Hamas terrorists killed two Palestinians on suspicion of helping Israel. The bodies of the dead Palestinians was hung on an electric pole.

Taking to X(formerly Twitter), Israel has called out UN Women for its post on the rape, murder and kidnapping of hundreds of Israeli women and girls during the October 7 attack by Hamas.

“The movement of residents from the south of the Gaza Strip to the north is not allowed and dangerous,” announce Israel Defense Forces.

During the ongoing four-day truce between Israel and Hamas, total 50 Israeli hostages are expected to be released. In exchange, Israel would free 150 Palestinian prisoners. All the hostages will be woman and minors.

According to a report by AP, Israel’s Prison Service said Saturday it was preparing 42 prisoners for release, which suggests Hamas would release 14 Israeli hostages. Notably, as per the deal between Israel and Hamas, three Palestinian prisoners would be released for every hostage freed.

Hamas has released total 24 hostages till now since the start of the cease-fire. Out of the 24, 13 were Israelis, 10 Thai nationals and one Philippines national. As per the deal, Israel has released 39 Palestinians from prison.

Israel is providing relief material including medical provisions as part of the reception of the released hostages.

Convoy of trucks with humanitarian aid have entered Gaza from the Egyptian side via the Rafah Crossing.

Israel Defense Forces reiterate their committment to bring back all Israeli hostages. Notably, 240 hostages were captured by Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel.

CMA CGM Symi targeted by what the US military believes was a triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying Shahed-136 drone while in international waters. The drone exploded, causing damage to the ship but not injuring any of its crew, reports AP citing unnamed US official.

As per a Times of Israel report, soldiers in the military’s elite signal intelligence unit, 8200, warned officials, including a senior officer, that Hamas was preparing mass invasion of Israel, but their concerns were dismissed as ‘fantasies.’

As per Israel’s News 12, as many as 13 more Israeli hostages will be set free by Hamas today, with the number of children in this batch exceeding the number of kids in the first batch of 13, which had four children in addition to nine women.

Ecuador President Daniel Nobo assigns ‘peace’ portfolio to vice president Veronica Abad, with the latter tasked with pursuing a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas.

The ‘peace’ portfolio will be Abad’s sole function, says a government statement.

Schneider Children’s Hospital, where eight of the 13 released Israelis were brought, says each of the eight is ‘doing well.’

A preliminary examination was conducted on the four women and four children. All of them are in good physical condition: Hospital statement

The office of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu shares list of 24 Israelis released by the militant group, out of total 24 freed (12 Thais and one Filipino).

Yoni Ashner, whose wife and two daughters returned to him after being held hostage by Hamas for 49 days, says he will not celebrate their return until all hostages have been released.

“I am happy that I got my family back, but I won’t celebrate until the last of the hostages returns. Our children, our fathers, our mothers, our sisters, are at this time in captivity…there are people whose hearts are broken at this time, and I want to make sure that every last hostage person will return home,” he says.

Three medical personnel from the Palestine Red Crescent Society and three from the Ministry of Health were detained (by Israel). Since then two of the six have reportedly been released, but we do not have information about the well-being of the four remaining health staff, including the director of Al-Shifa hospital: WHO statement

On Wednesday, Israeli forces had detained Mohammad Abu Salmiya, and others, over Hamas’s alleged use of Al-Shifa, the largest medical facility in Gaza.

While 10 Thai citizens were in the first batch of 24 hostages freed by Hamas, Thailand’s foreign ministry has said 20 more Thai nationals continue to be in the group’s captivity.

We thank the governments of Qatar, Israel, Egypt, Iran and Malaysia, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as others involved in the immense efforts that led to this recent release: Thai foreign affairs ministry statement

An Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson has said that the military plans to resume ‘active fighting’ once the 96-hour truce with Hamas ends.

“There are still many goals and many tunnels to demolish, including some we have destroyed even this morning right before the ceasefire began”: Daniel Hagari, IDF spokesperson