Eight Gaza captives, including five foreigners, released by Hamas as part of ceasefire deal

Agam Berger, a 20-year-old Israeli soldier, was the first to be released on Thursday as she emerged from under rubble at the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, which has repeatedly been targeted by the Israeli military since October 2023.

Later on Thursday, an Israeli female civilian, Arbel Yehoud, was released outside of what used to be the house of former Hamas political chief Yahya Sinwar in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Another Israeli civilian and five Thai nationals were also handed over to Red Cross officials, the Israeli army wrote on X.

In return, Israel is due to release 110 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

The first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement took effect on Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed over 47,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured more than 111,500 since Oct. 7, 2023.

Ten Israeli captives have so far been released in return for 290 Palestinian prisoners since the deal came into force.

Under the first phase of the deal, 33 Israeli captives are set to be released in exchange for an estimated 1,700 to 2,000 Palestinian detainees.

The Israeli onslaught on Gaza has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters ever.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.