Hamas releases 13 terrified hostages as four-day ceasefire with Israel takes hold

Women and children were among the freed hostages transferred to the Red Cross under the terms of a ceasefire agreement which took effect earlier this morning.

04:22 ET, Fri, Nov 24, 2023 | UPDATED: 09:56 ET, Fri, Nov 24, 2023

Palestinians living in shelters return to their homes in Khan Yunis as the ceasefire began.

Palestinians living in shelters return to their homes in Khan Yunis as the ceasefire began. (Image: GETTY)

Thirteen hostages have been freed by Hamas and transferred to the Red Cross under the terms of a ceasefire agreement which took effect earlier this morning.

Women and children were among the group released, but they are yet to be named for security reasons. As part of an operation dubbed “Heaven’s Door”, the disturbed hostages were greeted by psychologists and mental health experts who will assess the toll the ordeal has taken on them in the coming days.

The group has now left Gaza and been handed to the Egyptians and will soon be taken by Israeli forces to Hatzerim Air Base, in southern Israel.

A temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas kicked off on Friday, with the IDF reporting it had begun an operational pause in Gaza.

However, rocket sirens sounded in southern Israel just moments after 7am local time - when the pause in the fighting was set to begin. It's unclear if there was an actual attack.

The period is supposed to last for four days and will see 50 Israeli hostages exchanged for 150 Israel-held Palestinian prisoners.

A group of hostages is supposed to be released each day following the initial exchange. There may be an extension of the pause but Israel has warned that its campaign in Gaza is not yet finished.

Some from an Israeli airstrike.

Israel carried out an airstrike in Gaza shortly before the truce began. (Image: GETTY)

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee has warned in an Arabic message to Palestinian civilians in Gaza telling residents not to head north. He said: "The war is not over yet."

IDF aerial surveillance will be paused daily over southern Gaza between 10am and 4pm each day, presumably to allow Hamas to retrieve hostages without giving away its positions.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that it had begun its operation pause in accordance with the terms of a four-day truce between Israel and Hamas.

It added that its forces had targeted tunnel systems around the Al-Shifa hospital in the hours ahead of the truce.

In a post on X, it wrote: "The IDF has completed its operational preparations according to the defensive positions of the pause.

"Earlier this morning, our troops destroyed a route of underground terrorist tunnels and tunnel shafts in the area of the Shifa Hospital. In addition, over the last day, our troops struck various terrorist targets from the land, air and sea."

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Israeli cabinet approves ceasefire with Hamas that includes release of hostages

A Palestinian official told Reuters that 39 Israeli-held prisoners would be freed today as part of the ceasefire agreement - 13 Israeli hostages will be freed today.

Palestinian commissioner for prisoners Qadura Fares said the group would be made up of 24 women and 15 teenage boys from Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Mr Fares said: "After the Red Cross receives the (Palestinian) prisoners, the ones from Jerusalem will go to Jerusalem and the ones from the West Bank will gather in Betunia municipal council, where their families will be waiting."

The fragile truce - brokered by the US and Qatar - was appearing to hold as of 11.30am local time on Friday.