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Twelve more Hamas hostages were released Tuesday as part of an extended cease-fire deal with Israel — which has reportedly vowed not to extend the shaky peace pause past Sunday.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that Hamas has freed 10 Israelis — all women ranging in age from 17 to 84 — and two Thai nationals.
No Americans were freed in the latest round, a White House official told CNN.
Israel and Hamas are now discussing plans to extend the deadline for another two days with the same conditions as before, Egyptian sources told the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper.
But the pause in the war took a worrisome turn Tuesday when the Israel Defense Forces said three bombs were detonated near Israeli troops in two spots in Gaza, injuring several soldiers and in violation of the cease-fire. Both sides then traded gunfire. Hamas said Israel started the skirmishes.
The IDF also said three Israeli soldiers abducted by Hamas were now confirmed dead. The slain soldiers — Israeli Staff Sgt. Tomer Yaakov Ahimas, 20, Sgt. Kiril Brodski, 19, and Sgt. Shaked Dahan, 19 — were abducted Oct. 7 and believed to have been killed that day.
The Red Cross received the fifth wave of freed hostages Tuesday morning, with the group given medical screenings and brought to Israel.
The 10 Israeli hostages have been identified as Gabriela Leimberg, 59, and her daughter Mia, 17; Ditza Heiman, 84; Tamar Metzger, 78; Nurlene Agojo, 60; Ada Sagi, 75; Merav Tal, 53; Rimon Kirscht, 36; Ophelia Roitman, 77; and Clara Merman, 63.
Mia Leimberg was freed — carrying her dog Bella in her arms.
The release comes after Qatari officials, who are leading the negotiations between Israel and the terror group, said a total of 20 hostages would be freed over two days — or by Wednesday when the cease-fire deadline was extended.
With Tuesday’s release, 79 hostages in Gaza have now been freed so far, with Israeli officials estimating that about 160 others remain in captivity.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office added that it had sent a list of 50 Palestinian prisoners who could be freed in exchange for more hostages and an extension of the truce agreement, NBC News reports.
Tuesday’s hostage release paved the way for the freedom of 30 Palestinian prisoners in Israel, including 15 women and 15 male minors. It bumps the total number of prisoners released in exchange for hostages to 147.
One of the prisoners expected to be freed is journalist Marwat al-Azza, who was indicted Monday for statements made on social media, including one that appeared to mock an elderly woman who was kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7, Israeli outlet Haaretz reported.
But despite being open to extending the cease-fire in the Palestinian enclave through at least Wednesday, Israeli officials are allegedly unwilling to extend the truce longer than 10 days, a source familiar with the matter told Haaretz.
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Israeli officials in talks with Qatari negotiators insisted that the pause will end Sunday no matter what, with the war set to resume afterward, the source said.
Netanyahu has vowed to only end the war when the Palestinian terror group Hamas, which currently runs Gaza, is destroyed.
“The release of all captives, the elimination of the terrorist organization Hamas above and below the ground, and of course, Gaza will not return to what it was and can no longer pose a threat to our country,” the prime minister said Tuesday.
IDF officials have described the peace as a chance to “strengthen” their forces in northern Gaza to prepare for another all-out assault.
“The IDF is prepared to continue fighting,” Herzi Halevi, the military’s chief of staff, told troops on Tuesday. “We are using the days of the pause as part of the framework to learn, strengthen our readiness, and approve future operational plans.”
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