Saudi TV: Hamas Agrees To Release 33 Israelis

Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - According to a Saudi Arabian TV station Al Hadath report, as reported by Antara, Sunday, May 5, the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, agreed to release 33 Israelis they held hostage.

The deal comes indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel in Cairo, Egypt, to reach a ceasefire and release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, Al Hadath said citing a number of sources.

At the beginning of the negotiations, Hamas reportedly had said that they had only attracted 20 hostages.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a rocket attack on Israel from Gaza and broke through the border, which Tel Aviv said had killed 1,200 people and held 240 others hostage.

Israel then retaliated with an all-out attack, fully blockaded Gaza, and launched a ground offensive within the Palestinian enclave to "instigate Hamas fighters and free hostages".

At least 34,500 people have died in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities.

On November 24, 2023, Qatar mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas for the exchange of prisoners with hostages and a ceasefire, allowing humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. The ceasefire was extended several times and ended on December 1, 2023.