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After a long delay in the release of the second group of hostages by Hamas, eight Israeli children and five women are expected to be released shortly from Gaza, according to Qatar's foreign ministry, reported The Times of Israel.
Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, added that seven foreign nationals, who were among the over 230 people held hostage by Hamas, will also be released. According to the Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the Palestinian prisoners to be released in this phase by Israel include 33 minors and six women, The Times of Israel reported. "We reiterate our appreciation to our mediation partners--Egypt and the United States--for the joint efforts that removed obstacles to implementing the terms of the agreement for today," al-Ansari added. Moreover, Israel Defence Force Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that there is "significant progress" in the efforts to release the hostages from the Gaza Strip. "The effort to return the hostages is our moral and ethical duty. We are determined to fulfil this in any way," Hagari said in a press conference, reported The Times of Israel. "The effort tonight is progressing and we will inform the families and the public when things happen. Patience is required," he added, "There is significant progress." Hagari further said, "Nothing is final until it actually happens," as Israel is indirectly negotiating with an "evil terror group." "We will return the hostages in any way, through the deal, or through the next stages of the war," he said while responding to a question. "If the agreement is not fulfilled, we will go back to fighting," he added. After the announcement made by the Qatar foreign ministry, US President Joe Biden spoke with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and urged him to act to overcome the Hamas delay in implementing the hostage deal. According to the latest development, over 100,000 people are participating in rallies in Tel Aviv, calling for the return of all the hostages in Gaza, as the second batch was supposed to be released on Saturday afternoon. Notably, on the first day of the temporary truce, 24 hostages were released, predominantly Israeli and Thai citizens. (ANI)
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