More hostages in Gaza about to be released, Blinken wants to return to Israel – the night update Cargo ship sank in the Aegean Sea – 13 people missing

After the ceasefire in the Gaza war was extended for two days, there are high hopes that more hostages will be released. On Monday evening, Israel and the Islamist Hamas agreed to extend the ceasefire, which was initially expected to last four days, until Thursday morning. On Monday evening, Hamas released another eleven hostages, including two Germans. In return, Israel released 33 Palestinian prisoners from various prisons. On Tuesday evening, the Israeli government again received a list of people about to be released.

The list of hostages is being checked

The people on the Hamas list are expected to be released as early as Tuesday, the Times of Israel reported, citing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. It would be the first group to be released from Islamist control after the ceasefire was extended. According to the newspaper, it was not clear from the announcement how many hostages would be released. Other media reported ten people.

Since Friday, 69 hostages have been released, including ten with dual German nationality. In return, a group of 33 Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli prisons on Monday, as Israeli prison authorities announced in the evening. These were women and young people. The youngest teen was reportedly 14 years old. A total of 150 Palestinian prisoners have been released since Friday. Those released so far had been convicted of, among other things, knife attacks on Israelis, arson and attacks with firebombs or stones.

According to the Times of Israel, the extended lull in fighting could result in the release of another 20 hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the brutal terrorist attack on October 7. In total, the fighters have abducted about 240 people to the Gaza Strip. About 1,200 people were killed. Israel has since launched a ground offensive against Hamas.

Also Germans among the freedmen

Hamas handed over eleven hostages to the Red Cross on Monday evening as part of the ceasefire, the Israeli army announced. According to Israeli media reports, there are nine children and young people and two women. There were two German teenagers in the hostage group, as German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on the X platform on Monday evening. Of the kidnapped people, about twenty also had German citizenship.

After 52 days of suffering and despair, the teen’s mother was able to hug her again, Baerbock wrote. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that they can hug their loved ones again.” According to a spokeswoman for the Israeli hostage families, the German citizens were two teenage brothers.

People need to be medically examined

Monday’s group was the fourth group of hostages released since the ceasefire began. People must first undergo a medical examination and then be able to meet their family. In addition to the two Germans, there were also three French children aged 12 and 16, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris announced. According to the ministry, five French people are still missing.

Israeli government spokesman Eilon Levi said before Monday’s release that 184 hostages were still being held in the Gaza Strip. Of these, 14 are foreigners and 80 are Israelis with a second passport. The youngest of the hostages, a ten-month-old baby, had not yet been released. The boy was kidnapped along with his parents and his four-year-old brother.

The American Secretary of State wants to visit Israel again

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to visit Israel and the West Bank again this week for further talks on the hostages. He will also discuss Israel’s right to self-defense and the protection of civilians during Israel’s operation in the Gaza Strip, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in Washington on Monday evening (local time). Blinken also wants to discuss further steps toward the creation of a Palestinian state and the need to prevent the conflict from spreading. His ministry did not say when Blinken would arrive in the Middle East.

What will be important on Tuesday

After the lull in fighting is extended, more hostages are expected to be released from the Gaza Strip as part of possible exchanges with Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Organizations will also likely continue to try to bring relief supplies to the Gaza Strip. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also continues his trip to the Middle East with a visit to Oman – an influential state in the region. (sda/dpa)