Gaza: Israel Frees 30 Palestinians As Hamas Releases Eight Hostages

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The Israel Prison Service (IPS) said early on Friday that it has released 30 Palestinians from Israeli jails as part of the latest exchange for hostages under the truce deal with Hamas.

Reports quoted the Prison Service as explaining that the Palestinians were released from prisons in Israel, the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem under the seventh swap.

Confirming the latest development, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said six more Israeli captives were handed over to Red Cross after two people also got released earlier by Hama’s.

Meanwhile, on the number of hostages released by Hamas in the latest exchange, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports how the truce deal stipulates that a minimum of 10 Israeli captives should be released alive each day.

While the militant group released just eight Israelis on Thursday, a source close to Hamas told AFP that two Russian-Israeli women were freed on Wednesday in addition to 10 others made up for only eight being released on Thursday.

So far, mediator Qatar appeared to back the calculation for the exchanges made on both sides..

In exchange under the extended truce deal, due to expire within hours, Israeli prison authorities said 30 Palestinians prisoners were freed overnight on Thursday.

Since the agreement came into force on 24 November, 110 hostages have been released, including 80 Israelis.

The majority of the 30 non-Israeli hostages freed were from Thailand, released under a separate agreement.

The arrangement has also seen Israel freeing 240 Palestinian prisoners in exchange – With The Guardian report

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