Hamas hands over 13 more hostages after agonising delay and Israel’s ‘full attack’ threat left truce deal on the brink

HAMAS has handed over 13 more hostages and are currently on their way to the Rafah Crossing in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are currently preparing to receive the released hostages. Another 13 Israeli hostages will be released from Gaza by Hamas tonight ReutersOhad Munder, 9, was one of the Israeli civilians let go by Hamas thugs during the first hostage release on Friday[/caption] The 13 Israeli women and children released by Hamas on Friday It’s thought seven non-Israeli hostages are also being released tonight. Unconfirmed reports indicate that Sharon Avigdori and her 12-year-old daughter Noam are among those being released tonight. The terror group said earlier today it would delay the release of 13 more hostages over alleged violations of the truce deal by Israel. Today is the second day of the temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel – where the parties had agreed to exchange 13 Israeli civilian hostages for 39 Palestinians kept in Israeli prisons. An Israeli official reportedly said this evening that the temporary ceasefire in place since yesterday would end if Hamas did not release the second group of hostages by midnight. It came after the terror group claimed it delayed the release of hostages because only 65 vehicles filled with humanitarian aid had reached northern Gaza since the ceasefire began yesterday. Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan said this amount was “less than half of what Israel agreed on”, the BBC reported. A senior Hamas official further alleged Israel flew drones over southern Gaza, killed two Palestinians in an area of Gaza where civilians are free to move, and made changes to an agreed list of Palestinian prisoners to be released. But Israel and Hamas have now confirmed the second release of hostages under the truce agreement will go ahead tonight. Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a press briefing that “significant progress” had been made in efforts to release the 13 hostages following delays by Hamas. He said tonight: “The effort to return the hostages is our moral and ethical duty. We are determined to fulfil this in any way. “The effort tonight is progressing and we will inform the families and the public when things happen. Patience is required.” He added that “nothing is final until it actually happens” as Israel is indirectly negotiating with an “evil terror group”. The spokesman continued: “We will return the hostages in any way, through the deal, or through the next stages of the war. “If the agreement is not fulfilled, we will go back to fighting.” Hamas said in a statement it “upholds their appreciation towards Egypt and Qatar for ensuring the continuation of their temporary truce with Israel”, the BBC reports. And the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an assessment of the situation this evening, with all security elements in order to verify that the second phase is proceeding as planned.” Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said eight children and five women are among the 13 Israeli hostages to be released tonight, along with seven foreign nationals. Israel has denied breaking the agreement it has with Hamas, a source telling AFP: “Israel has not violated the agreement.” The first group of hostages being released by the Hamas brutes were reunited with their families yesterday evening. Onlookers watched as 13 women and children were pulled from blacked-out vans by masked Hamas militants and passed over to Red Cross workers. Hamas has agreed to free at least 50 of the 240 hostages it snatched on October 7 over the coming days in exchange for 150 Palestinians being kept in Israeli prisons. Both sides said they would release women and children first. The truce-for-hostages deal was reached after weeks of intense negotiations, with Qatar, the United States and Egypt serving as mediators. A total of 24 hostages were freed from Gaza during the first day of the truce, including 13 Israeli women and children, 10 Thai nationals and one Filipino. No British civilians were released. All 13 Israeli hostages were sent to separate hospitals across Israel, where medical staff said most of them appeared to be in good physical health. Several were sent to Schneider Children’s Medical Centre where they reunited with family. Heartwarming footage released by the children’s hospital showed the moment nine-year-old Ohad Munder saw his dad for the first time in seven weeks. He was snatched by Hamas terrorists on October 7 – when militants stormed the border and slaughtered over 1,200 innocent civilians – along with his mother Keren and grandmother Ruth. The clip showed him carrying a cuddly toy, turning a corner in the hospital, and waving to two relatives including his father. Ohad ran to greet them as his dad picked him up and spun him round in a touching reunion. The nine-year-old boy’s cousin said: “I’m waiting to see Ohad and can’t wait to give him his Rubik’s cube which I know he really loved and he probably missed it so much. “That’s the first thing he takes everywhere he goes.” Five-year-old Emilia Aloni, who was kidnapped along with her mother, was pictured reuniting with her grandmother. Yaffa Adar, 85, who was snatched on October 7 and seen riding on the back of a Hamas buggy, was also released. Her granddaughter Orian Adar said their family was “very excited” to see her. She said: “Her resilience moved us very much, it’s inspiring. “We ask everyone to remember, we can’t see the sun yet because there are many more people still out there. “We need everyone with us at home, don’t stop until the last abductee comes home to us,” Sky News reports. Yoni Asher – whose wife Doron and daughters Raz, four, and Aviv, two, were kidnapped by the Hamas brutes last month – was finally reunited with his family on Friday. Their four-year-old daughter said: “I dreamt that we were going home,” to which her father replied: “We are home, we are going to our house soon.” More hostages are expected to be released over the coming days during the pause in fighting. If the ceasefire holds, it will mark the first significant break in fighting since Israel declared war on Hamas seven weeks ago. Gaza has been relentlessly pummelled by Israel’s airstrikes and ground operations in recent weeks. Much of the northern part of the Strip has become a devastated warzone with ruined buildings, dwindling supplies, and horrific suffering for Gaza’s people. By the Red Cross’ estimates, some 1.5million civilians have been forced to flee south amid the Israeli onslaught from land, air and sea. Figures for the death toll remain unverified – but Hamas’ health officials have claimed more than 11,000 civilians, including more than 4,500 children, have been killed. Israel disputes these figures and US President Joe Biden said he had “no confidence” in them. Benjamin Netanyahu admitted Israel had “not been successful” in reducing civilian casualties, but said the deaths must be blamed on Hamas, not Israel. He insisted Israel’s mission remains unchanged and its offensive will resume once the ceasefire period ends. The Israeli PM said: “We are at war and we will continue the war until we achieve all our goals.” After the first hostage release on Friday, Netanyahu said: “I emphasise to you, the families, and to you, the citizens of Israel: We are committed to returning all our hostages. “This is one of the war’s objectives, and we’re committed to achieving all of the war’s objectives.” An IDF spokesperson claimed around 215 hostages remained in Gaza. Schneider Children's Medical Center SpokespersonEmilia Aloni, five, pictured reuniting with her grandmother on Friday after she was snatched with her mother Daniel on October 7[/caption]