Israel-Palestine live: Israel says 39 more Palestinians freed under truce deal
Live Updates
The World Health Organisation released a stark warning on Friday after coordinating with the Palestine Red Crescent Society to evacuate critical patients at al-Shifa hospital.
Here's what they had to say:
"On 22 November, in cooperation with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, WHO participated in another joint-UN mission to transfer 151 patients, relatives and health workers accompanying them from Al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza. The mission was undertaken following specific requests from health authorities and hospital officials in Gaza.
"This was the third mission to Al-Shifa carried out by WHO, other UN agencies and partners in less than a week; the first was an assessment mission (18 November) and the second was an evacuation mission to transport 31 infants (19 November).
"During this mission, the team transferred 73 severely ill or injured patients, including 18 dialysis patients; 26 patients with serious spinal injuries; 8 patients with severe chronic conditions; two in need of critical care; and 19 patients in wheelchairs. The patients were transported in 14 ambulances supplied and staffed by the Palestine Red Crescent Society, and two buses, with 8 health workers and 70 family members accompanying them.
"This was a high-risk mission, as intense fighting and shelling continued in proximity of Al-Shifa hospital. It took 20 hours for the team to complete the evacuation, including 6 hours at a checkpoint where the team and patients were screened by the Israeli Defense Force. This was despite an initial agreement to only screen participants at the origination point in Al-Shifa Hospital.
"The screening process involved checks on the patients, their relatives, and the personnel; these included elderly, children and severely ill patients. Three medical personnel from the Palestine Red Crescent Society and three from the Ministry of Health were detained. After 6 hours at the security checkpoint, the convoy proceeded as the condition of some of patients was already deteriorating. Patients reached their final destination late at night.
"Most of the patients were ultimately transferred to the European Gaza Hospital, with the dialysis patients admitted to Al Najjar Hospital. Both facilities are in the south of Gaza. WHO is extremely concerned about the safety of the estimated 100 patients and health workers remaining at Al-Shifa. Due to the limited time that the mission members were able to spend in the hospital and the urgency of moving the most critical, it was difficult to determine exactly how many remain.
"Two of the six detained health workers have reportedly been released. We do not have information about the well-being of the four remaining health staff, including the director of Al-Shifa hospital. WHO calls for their legal and human rights to be fully observed during their detention. This and other evacuations were requested by health authorities, health workers and patients, and became necessary as Al-Shifa Hospital is no longer able to function due to lack of water, fuel, medical supplies, food, and staff, and recent military incursions."
Israel sent Marah Bakr to prison at the age of 17. She described her eight-year stint in prison to Middle East Eye contributor Faiz Abu Amleh and said her release on Friday was “unexpected”.
"Life in prison was difficult. Some days were better than others. But if you trust God and know there are people who have your back... you know everything passes in the end,” said Bakr.
“It was difficult, especially at the start, because I was young and needed my mother's care. But the other female prisoners took care of me—all praise to God.”
Bakr said that Israel placed her and other female prisoners in solitary confinement after Hamas launched its surprise assault into southern Israel.
“Since 7 October, conditions worsened in jail because they separated us from each other. Prison guards kept trying to emotionally manipulate me,” said Bakr.
“The worst part is I knew nothing about about my family. I had no contact with them, but I kept dreaming about them.
“I always knew I would be released in a prisoner exchange deal, but I didn't know it would come during the war.
“It is very painful to me [to be released in these conditions]. I know the martyrs [in Gaza] died for this. I want to send them my greetings and my prayers. Stay strong, and God will bring His relief.
“I want to spend a lot of time with my family. Then I want to go to university. I want to study law."
US President Joe Biden said he doesn’t trust Hamas but added that the current swap of prisoners is still only the start.
He said he expected more to be released in the coming days and the second wave of releases would happen in the coming hours, adding that the pause in fighting was a “critical” opportunity to get aid into Gaza.
There are two American women and a child that are still missing, according to the president.
Biden said a reason behind the Hamas-led 7 October attack was the US working with Saudi Arabia and Israel on the normalisation of ties.
The US president said he has no idea how long the war will last but urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to minimise civilian casualties.
Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said on Friday that four Germans were among the 24 hostages released from captivity in Gaza earlier in the day.
"I am so incredibly relieved that 24 hostages were just released from Gaza, among them four Germans, and that a father, after 49 days of hell, of unbelievable fear, can finally embrace again his two small daughters and his wife," Baerbock said on the sidelines of a conference of her Greens Party.
"The release of all the remaining hostages, especially the Germans among them, remains a top priority."
The released hostages whose family members said they had dual citizenship were Aviv Asher, 2; Raz Asher, 4; and Doron Katz-Asher, 34; and Margalit Mozes, 77.
Israel released Malak Sulaiman after holding her in prison for seven years.
The Israelis imprisoned Sulaiman in 2016 when she was 17 years old.
She is among the Palestinian women and children freed from prison as part of an exchange deal between Israel and Hamas.
The father of Marah Bakir, who was released on Friday, said Israel threatened to raid their family home if they openly celebrated her release.
"Marah is finally home. We just received her at the Maskobya interrogation centre," said Jawdat Bakeer, father of Marah.
"Police told us we can't celebrate in any way. They threatened to raid our home and destroy everything. They said they would come and arrest me."
Israel sent Bakir to prison at the age of 15 for the attempted murder of a policeman - a charge Bakir and the family denies.
Seventy-six-year-old Hana Katzir, who was claimed dead by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, was among the 13 Israeli hostages released on Friday.
PIJ had previously claimed that Katzir died in an Israeli air strike on Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to welcome the first batch of hostages released by Hamas.
Palestinian officials confirmed that Israel had released 33 Palestinians as part of the truce deal between Israel and Hamas.
Journalists have sighted buses carrying Palestinian women and children imprisoned by Israel at the Baitunia checkpoint after they were released from Ofer prison.
Marah Bakir is among the first group of Palestinian women and children released from the Ofer prison as part of a truce deal between Israel and Hamas on Friday.
Israel has held Bakir for eight years and placed her in solitary confinement since 7 October, when Hamas launched its raid into southern Israel for nearly seven weeks.
Footage online showed Bakir embracing her family, who were waiting outside for the Palestinian woman.
Earlier today, Marah's mother, Sawsan Bakir, told Middle East Eye that the "situation across the homeland" makes it difficult to celebrate, referring to the Israeli aggression in Gaza.
"I have mixed feelings. I don't know what to feel," Sawsan told MEE contributor Faiz Abu Rmeleh.
"Of course, on the one hand, we are happy that Marah will be free. But our joy is incomplete due to the situation across the homeland," she said.
Israeli forces are firing tear gas at thousands of Palestinians who have gathered outside the Ofer prison in anticipation of the release of 39 Palestinian prisoners as part of the prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel.
Among the 39 Palestinians set to be released are several women and children imprisoned by Israel. Pictures posted by Al Mayadeen showed Red Cross vehicles heading towards the Ofer prison, as thousands of Palestinians flanked the vehicles.
Israeli police are raiding the homes of Palestinian prisoners set to be released as part of a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office released the names of the 13 Israeli captives freed on Friday. Netanyahu's office released the names after the captives returned to Israel:
Their names include:
- Doron Katz-Asher, 34
- Raz Asher, 4
- Aviv Asher, 2
- Daniel Aloni, 45
- Amelia Aloni, 5
- Ruth Munder, 78
- Keren Monder, 54
- Ohad Monder, 9
- Adina Moshe, 72
- Hanna Katzir, 76
- Margalit Mozes, 77
- Hanna Perry, 79
- Yaffe Adar, 85
Israel's national emergency service, Magen David Adom, confirmed to Israeli Army Radio that hostages received by the Red Cross are "in good and reasonable" health.
Eli Bin, the director general of Magen David Adom, said initial assessments after speaking with the Red Cross delegation said the captives were doing well.
Hamas released the groups via the Red Cross in the Rafah Crossing in Egypt. Israeli media noted that the captives would be taken to hospitals in Israel for further assessment.
Earlier, Israeli officials said the hostages in need of urgent medical care would be taken to Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba. Israeli media said captives not in need of urgent medical care would be taken to other hospitals across Israel, with some taken to the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.
