The release comes after mediator Qatar said the truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza had been extended by two days.
The Israeli military says 11 hostages have been freed by the Palestinian armed group Hamas and are on their way to Israel, the latest in a series of exchanges during a four-day humanitarian pause.
“According to information received from the Red Cross, 11 hostages are currently on their way to Israeli territory,” the Israeli army said in a statement on Monday.
A spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, which played a key role in mediation efforts, said those released were six Argentines, three French and two Germans.
The release of the hostages, among some 240 people captured by Hamas during deadly attacks in southern Israel on October 7, comes after Qatar and Hamas announced that a deal had been reached to extend the initial truce of four days.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement to extend their truce for another two days, providing a much-needed respite to Palestinians in Gaza, exhausted by weeks of relentless Israeli bombardment, and a hope for Israelis with loved ones held captive who they hope will return home.
In recent days, Palestinian groups in Gaza have released captives in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, many of them women and children held without trial.
On Sunday, Hamas released 17 more prisoners – 14 Israelis and three Thais – the highest number so far. The total number of captives freed since fighting began on October 7 now stands at 62, the most since the temporary pause in fighting began on Friday.
Israel said it would extend the truce by one day for every 10 hostages released, and Hamas said it had agreed to an extended truce on “the same conditions” as the original deal.
The pause in fighting has also allowed an increase in aid shipments to the Gaza Strip, where the relentless Israeli assault and siege of the territory has created a serious humanitarian crisis.
