Hamas releases 6 more hostages from Gaza, IDF says

 

Images of freed hostages: Ayesha Alzyadna, 17; Sapir Cohen, 29; Ilana Gritzewsky, 30; Nili Margalit, 41; Mia Schem, 21; Shani Goren, 29; Bilal Alzyadna, 18; Amit Soussana, 40

Six more hostages being held in the Gaza Strip were being released Thursday night, the Israel Defense Forces said. 

The IDF said it was informed by the Red Cross that the abductees were transferred to the organization and were on their way to Israel. 

“The abductees returned to Israel in Egyptian territory and on their way to the meeting point with our forces in Kerem Shalom,” the IDF posted to X. “The representatives of the security system will verify the identity of the returning abductees at the meeting point. IDF representatives update their families regularly.”

The six were identified as: Ayesha Alzyadna, 17; Bilal Alzyadna, 18; Nili Margalit, 41; Ilana Gritzewsky, 30; Shani Goren and Sapir Cohen, both 29. 

"An elite unit of the IDF and a force of the Shin Bet are now escorting the six abductees and the abductees back to Israel in Israel," the IDF said. "Those returning to Israel will be escorted to the Hatzer base where they will undergo an initial assessment of their medical condition. Our forces will accompany the returnees until they reach their families in the hospitals."

Those returning to Israel will be escorted to the Hatzer base where they will undergo an initial assessment of their medical condition.

Our forces will accompany the returnees until they reach their families in the hospitals

The newly freed hostages include a citizen of Mexico, Russia, Uruguay, a spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. In addition, 30 Palestinians, 23 minors and 7 adults, were released from Israeli detention.

Earlier, two women were brought back to Israel. Mia Schem, 21, and Amit Soussana, 40, were the first pair of hostages released by Hamas on Thursday.  

An IDF spokesperson said Thursday night that Israel expected more hostages to be released in the evening.  

Israel and Hamas are in the sixth day of a temporary ceasefire that is slated to end Friday morning. Israel has said it will resume fighting if another ceasefire deal isn’t worked out.