A grandmother of six was released from captivity in Gaza on Friday, just days after the Palestinian terror group Islamic Jihad announced her death.
Hanna Katzir, 77, was a shocking inclusion on a list of 13 Israeli hostages released by Hamas.
A total of 25 hostages were released on Friday as the guns fell silent in the Gaza Strip for the first time in seven weeks. The released hostages included four children under 10 and six women over 70, according to a list released by the Israeli government.
An American child – along with two other US citizens – is expected to be released in the coming days as the release of hostages has begun as part of a four-day ceasefire.
The 13 Israelis handed over to the International Red Cross on Friday are among a group of 50 hostages whose release was negotiated in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody and a four-day ceasefire.
Over and beyond, Thailand’s government also announced this that twelve of its nationals had also been released in the Gaza Strip, near the border with Egypt. “Hamas has made a gesture to also release some Thai foreigners,” a source close to Hamas told Agence France-Presse.
The ceasefire in Gaza began at 7 a.m. local time (midnight ET) after nearly two months of carnage. The steady rumble of trucks bringing relief supplies to the beleaguered enclave has been heard since early Friday morning.
So far, at least 60 trucks have been reported entering the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing. One of the vehicles carrying goods from an Egyptian NGO was draped with a banner reading “For our brothers in Gaza.”
Since the October 7 massacre, only a fraction of aid has been allowed into the Gaza Strip, leaving Palestinian civilians in desperate need of aid, fuel and medicine.
The Israel Defense Forces reminded Palestinians that the ceasefire was only a brief cessation of hostilities and that civilians would not be allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza for supplies or additional clothing as the weather turns wintry.
“The war is not over yet,” spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X. “The humanitarian pause is temporary.” The northern Gaza Strip is a dangerous war zone and it is forbidden to move north. For your safety, you must remain in the humanitarian zone in the south.”
Those still in the north of the strip will be allowed to move south over the next four days, provided they use the main Salah al-Din road.
Six hospitals in Israel are on standby with pediatric care and psychological counselors to care for the hostages who have suffered extraordinary trauma. Israel’s Health Ministry has said hospitals are banned from releasing photos or information about the conditions of hostages as they are nursed back to health.
In return for the release of the hostages, Israel will release 150 prisoners, mostly women and teenagers, who are being held on minor charges including stone-throwing.