Hostage Exchange Milestone: Hamas and Israel Move Forward in Truce

Hamas has released two Israeli hostages to the Red Cross, with a third expected. The exchange is part of a phased deal involving the transfer of Palestinian prisoners. The ceasefire, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, is holding, despite mutual accusations between the two sides.

In a critical development within the ongoing conflict, the Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over two Israeli hostages to the Red Cross, as captured by live television footage on Saturday. A third hostage is anticipated to be released later in the morning.

The hostages, identified as Ofer Kalderon, a French-Israeli dual national, and Yarden Bibas, were transferred to a Red Cross official in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. This exchange marks the latest step in a phased deal, seeing hostages swapped for Palestinian prisoners. Keith Siegel, a U.S.-Israeli dual national, is expected to be transferred later on Saturday at another location.

The agreement, facilitated by Egyptian and Qatari mediators and supported by the United States, upholds a six-week ceasefire. Despite incidents causing accusations of violations, the truce remains intact. The conflict has resulted in heavy casualties on both sides since the initial Hamas attack, which claimed 1,200 lives and led to the capture of more than 250 hostages.

(With inputs from agencies.)