Hamas Frees 12 Captives, Israel Releases 30 Palestinians in 5th Phase of Swap Deal

Tuesday, 28 November 2023 9:33 PM 

Released Palestinian prisoners arrive in the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on November 28, 2023. (Photo by AP)

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has freed 12 captives in exchange for 30 Palestinians released by the Israeli regime, as part of the fifth phase of a swap deal between the two sides.

The exchange went underway on Tuesday, the fifth day of the agreement that has been clinched between the two sides through Qatar and Egypt's mediation.

The agreement has also brought about a lull in a genocidal Israeli war against the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 15,500 people across the coastal sliver.

The Israeli regime began the war on October 7 following an operation by Gaza's resistance groups that killed 1,200 Israeli settlers and forces and led to the captivity of hundreds of others.

The captives released by Hamas on the fifth day comprised 10 Israelis and two Thai nationals.

So far, under the deal, Hamas has released a total of 81 captives while Israel has freed 150 Palestinian detainees.

An Israeli woman held by Hamas during the regime’s war on Gaza thanks the movement’s fighters for their humane behavior.

Friday marked the first day of the agreement, which had been initially brokered for four days. The regime and Hamas agreed to extend it for two more days on Monday.

Speaking on Tuesday, Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the Hamas' Political Bureau, said he hoped the deal would be extended for a longer period of time.

A senior official of Hamas resistance movement hopes the truce in Gaza would be extended for a longer period of time.

Israel, however, has vowed to resume the war with "full force," claiming that it seeks to end Hamas' rule over Gaza.

Hamas has vowed that the Palestinian territory would be only ruled by its own people once the war was over.