JERUSALEM — Hamas militants on Sunday freed 17 extra hostages, together with 14 Israelis, in a 3rd set of releases below a cease-fire deal.

Red Cross representatives transferred the hostages out of Gaza late Sunday. Some had been handed over on to Israel, whereas others left by Egypt.

The military stated one of many hostages was airlifted on to an Israeli hospital.

Israel was to free 39 Palestinian prisoners later Sunday as a part of the deal.

It was the third consecutive day by which Hamas launched Israeli hostages it has been holding in Gaza in trade for Palestinian prisoners.

A fourth trade is anticipated to happen on Monday – the final day of the four-day cease-fire between the enemies. A complete of fifty hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed.

Israel declared battle on Hamas after the Islamic militant group carried out a cross-border assault on Oct. 7 that killed some 1,200 folks and took 240 folks hostage. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has left over 13,300 folks lifeless, in keeping with well being authorities within the Hamas-run territory.

International mediators led by the U.S. and Qatar are attempting to increase the cease-fire.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows under.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas seemed to be again on monitor Sunday after the discharge of a second group of militant-held hostages and Palestinians from Israeli prisons, and Egypt stated it had acquired new lists for an anticipated third launch.

In a separate growth, Hamas introduced that one in every of its high commanders had been killed, with out saying when or how. Israel‘s army confirmed it.

The second trade was delayed for hours Saturday after Hamas accused Israel of violating the settlement, which has introduced the primary important pause in seven weeks of battle marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in a long time and huge destruction and displacement throughout the Gaza Strip. Hamas later launched 13 Israelis and 4 Thais, whereas Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.

Diaa Rashwan, chair of the Egyptian State Information Services, stated Egypt had acquired a listing of 13 hostages that Hamas will launch Sunday, and one other checklist of 39 Palestinians that Israel is anticipated to free.

White House nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan informed NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the U.S. had “reason to believe” that an American hostage can be launched Sunday and stated there have been hopes it will be Abigail Edan, the 4-year-old lady who misplaced her mother and father within the Hamas assault on Oct. 7. Sullivan additionally stated that U.S. President Joe Biden would communicate with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later Sunday.

Separately, Hamas stated it had launched one of many Russian hostages it was holding, “in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin” and as a present of appreciation for Moscow’s place on the battle. 

Israeli military radio had reported that it was an Israeli-Russian twin nationwide.

Hamas and different militant teams seized round 240 folks in the course of the rampage throughout southern Israel that ignited the battle. Forty-four have been launched, one was freed by Israeli forces and two had been discovered lifeless inside Gaza.

Pressure from hostages’ households has sharpened the dilemma going through Israel‘s leaders, who search to eradicate Hamas as a army and governing energy whereas returning all of the captives.

The battle has claimed the lives of greater than 1,200 Israelis, principally civilians killed by Hamas within the preliminary assault. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them ladies and minors, in keeping with the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

The four-day cease-fire, which started Friday, was brokered by Qatar and Egypt and the United States. Hamas will launch a minimum of 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel will free 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are ladies and minors.

Israel has stated the truce may be prolonged by an additional day for each further 10 hostages freed, however has vowed to shortly resume its offensive as soon as it ends. Sullivan stated the U.S. is working “with all sides on the possibility that this deal gets extended to additional hostages beyond the initial 50.”

Hamas commander killed

Hamas introduced the loss of life of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in control of northern Gaza and a member of its high army council. He is the highest-ranking militant recognized to have been killed within the preventing.

Al-Ghandour, believed to have been round 56 years previous, had survived a minimum of three Israeli makes an attempt on his life and was concerned in a cross-border assault in 2006 by which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, in keeping with the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based mostly in Washington.

Hamas stated that he was killed together with three different senior militants, together with Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in control of Hamas’ rocket-firing unit. The Israeli army talked about each males in a Nov. 16 assertion, saying it had focused an underground advanced the place Hamas leaders had been hiding.

The Israeli army claims to have killed 1000's of militants, with out offering proof, together with a number of mid-ranking commanders it has recognized by identify.

Aid and respite in Gaza

The pause has given some respite to Gaza‘s 2.3 million folks, nonetheless reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has pushed three-quarters of the inhabitants from their houses and leveled residential areas. Rocket fireplace from Gaza militants into Israel additionally went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, the place the offensive has centered, returned to the streets. Entire metropolis blocks in and round Gaza City have been gutted by airstrikes that hollowed out buildings and left drifts of rubble.

In southern Gaza, the place a whole bunch of 1000's of individuals from the north have sought refuge, residents lined up exterior fuel stations, hoping to fill up on gas. Palestinians who've tried to return to the north to see if their houses are intact have been turned again by Israeli troops.

“Many are desperate to return to their homes, but they open fire on anyone approaching from the south,” stated Rami Hazarein, who fled from Gaza City final month.

The Israeli army has ordered Palestinians to not return to the north or method inside a kilometer (round a half-mile) of the border fence. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service stated that Israeli forces opened fireplace Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the opposite. It didn’t present additional particulars. An Israeli army spokesperson stated they weren’t conscious of the incident.

The United Nations stated the truce has made it potential to scale up the supply of meals, water, and medication to the biggest quantity because the begin of the battle, although it nonetheless hasn’t reached prewar ranges. It was in a position to ship gas for the primary time because the battle started, and to achieve areas within the north for the primary time in a month.

Hostages for prisoners

The Israeli hostages freed on Saturday included seven kids and 6 ladies, ranging in age from 3 to 67. Most had been from Kibbutz Be’eri, a group that Hamas militants ravaged throughout their Oct. 7 assault.

The freed hostages have principally stayed out of the general public eye. Hospitals stated their bodily situation has been good, other than one who was shot in the course of the assault and required surgical procedure. Little is publicly recognized in regards to the circumstances of their captivity.

Eyal Nouri, the nephew of Adina Moshe, 72, who was freed on Friday, stated his aunt “had to adjust to the sunlight” as a result of she had been in full darkness for weeks.

The launched Palestinians included a minimum of two ladies who had been given lengthy sentences after being convicted by Israeli courts of violent assaults. Many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, together with these implicated in assaults, as heroes resisting occupation, and have celebrated their launch.

The battle in Gaza has been accompanied by a surge in violence within the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian well being authorities stated Sunday that 5 Palestinians had been killed in an Israeli army raid within the northern West Bank metropolis of Jenin that started the day earlier than.

The Israeli military has carried out frequent army raids and arrested a whole bunch of Palestinians because the begin of the battle, principally folks it suspects of being Hamas members.

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Samy Magdy reported from Cairo. Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem, and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

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