A third group of hostages have been released by Hamas, the IDF have said.
After 51 days in captivity, 13 Israelis, one Russian and three Thai nationals have been released during a third day of an agreed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas terrorists.
In a statement, the IDF said twelve were headed to a military base near the southern city of Beersheva in Israel accompanied by Israeli special forces while one had been flown directly to hospital.
Four additional hostages were on their way to the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, they added.
The weekly rally of families of hostages and their supporters, on Saturday evening at the "Hostages Square" in Tel Aviv (Photo: Getty)
The full list of released Israeli hostages is:
- Abigail Idan, 4
- Ella Elyakim, 5 and sister Dafna Elyakim, 15
- Hagar Brodetz Ama, 40 and her children Ofri, 10, Yuval, 9, and Oriya, 4
- Chen Goldstein, 48 and her children Agam, 17, Tal, 9 and Gal, 11
- Alma Avraham, 84
- Adrian Aviva Siegel, 63
It comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his first visit to Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began, telling soldiers there that Israel will continue until it wins.
"We continue until the end - until victory," footage posted online by his office showed him saying, on his first such trip since the war began October 7.
"Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the power, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all the war's goals, and we will."
As part of the ceasefire agreement approved by the Israeli Cabinet on Wednesday, Hamas will release 12 to 13 hostages each day of the four-day truce. The release of every additional 10 hostages will result in one additional day in the pause in combat.
Israel also agreed to commute the sentences of at least 150 female and teenage Palestinian security prisoners, or three terrorists for every hostage that is released.
