Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed on Monday evening that the fourth hostage exchange for Palestinian prisoners was “in progress” in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The Israel Defense Forces later announced on its official channels that “according to information from the Red Cross, eleven Israeli hostages are on their way to Israeli territory.”
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Mayid al Ansari also stated that among the released Israelis were three French citizens, two German citizens and six Argentine citizens.
Meanwhile, Hamas published on Telegram the list of 33 Palestinian prisoners who will be released this Monday in exchange for the hostages held in the Gaza Strip. The list includes three Palestinian women and 30 minors from Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron or Nablus. Al Ansari subsequently confirmed these figures.
In his appearance, Hagari also referred to the extension of the ceasefire for two more days until Wednesday and emphasized that “it is not final.” “We work continuously with mediators. Nothing is final until it actually happens. Today things are moving forward too, but we have to be patient,” Hagari said, according to The Times of Israel newspaper in its digital edition.
Hagari also criticized the videos released by Hamas with images of the handover of hostages to employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “Not even the dozens of videos of terrorists waving goodbye can hide Hamas’ brutality,” he argued.
He also referred to the situation of the Bibas family, whose members were handed over by Hamas to another armed group. Hagari emphasized that responsibility remains with Hamas.
The Israeli army had previously warned that Yarden and Shiri Bibas, along with their two children Ariel and Kfir, aged four years and nine months, were handed over to another Palestinian militia and that they are currently being held in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip.
Referring to Elma Avraham, 84, who was released by Palestinian militias on Sunday in critical condition, Hagari stressed that she was taken to a hospital. “Elma is 84 years old. She is a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother,” he emphasized.
“Elma was taken hostage during the Hamas massacre on October 7th. She was dragged to Gaza on the back of a motorcycle. She was held captive by Hamas for 51 days and nights. She was held in harsh conditions and was denied life-saving medication.” needed and was not visited by the Red Cross,” he explained.
“When she was released she was in critical condition. Elma reminds us what our mission is. Now she is home and being taken care of, but who will take care of the other hostages who are in Gaza,” he added. “There are more than 150 of our hostages – men, women, children, babies. Who takes care of them? “Who holds a ten-month-old baby, Kfir Bibas?” he accused.
For this reason, he has called on international organizations, particularly the ICRC, “to use the resources at their disposal to gain access to our hostages and ensure that they receive the medical care they need.”