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Thousands of people have died and thousands more have been injured since the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel retaliated with a bombing campaign and total siege of the neighboring Gaza Strip, leaving the region on the verge of all-out war.
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Latest Developments
Americans held among hostages not expected to be released Saturday, US official says
American citizens are not expected to be among the hostages released Saturday, according to a U.S. official. No Americans were released Friday in the first group.
A senior administration official said they are still "hopeful" that three Americans will be released in this four day pause.
13 Israeli hostages, 39 Palestinians expected to be released Saturday
Hamas is expected to release 13 Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel freeing 39 Palestinian prisoners Saturday as part of an ongoing swap during a four-day cease-fire, sources told ABC News.
Egyptian officials have released the same numbers, saying Egypt has received a list of 13 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and 39 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel planned to be released Saturday.
Egypt is currently holding intensive talks with the Palestinian and Israeli sides to "secure the release of a larger number" of captives in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners, the head of the State Information Service Diaa Rashwan said.
Earlier, the Israel Prison Service said that it received a list of 42 Palestinian prisoners to be released today -- as part of the agreement between Israel and the Hamas terror group, three prisoners are to be freed for each Israeli let go. Israel said Friday it received the list of abductees who are to be released today following the schedule.
It was not immediately clear if any non-Israeli captives may also be released Saturday.
Israel gets new list of hostages to be released Saturday
A new list of hostages to be released on Saturday was handed over to the Israel Defense Forces and Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, Israeli officials said.
The number of hostages to be released was not disclosed. Israeli officials said the list follows the schedule negotiated for freeing the captives in groups over a four-day cease-fire.
Video: Red Cross says it will 'repeat this process' and reduce family separation
On Friday, 24 hostages, including 13 Israelis, were released by Hamas.
Lt. Col. Gal Hirsh, appointed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the release of Israeli captives in Gaza, has shared the list with family members of the hostages set to be released, Israeli officials said.
Israeli security officials are checking the list, officials said, adding that more information will be released as needed.
-ABC News Matt Gutman
151 more patients evacuated from Al-Shifa Hospital: WHO
At least 151 patients at the Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, which has been under siege for days, have been transferred to other medical facilities, the World Health Organization said Friday.
The mission to transfer the patients occurred on Wednesday, according to a statement from WHO.
It was the third mission undertaken in less than a week to move patients, including 31 infants, according to WHO.
The Israel Defense Forces, which raided the hospital last week, claimed Hamas was using the hospital to conceal its military operations and to hold hostages.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society joined WHO in carrying out the transfer of patients, according to the WHO statement.
Most of the patients were transferred to the European Gaza Hospital, according to WHO.
The patients moved in the latest mission included 73 severely ill patients, 18 of whom are dialysis patients, 26 with serious spinal injuries and eight with severe chronic conditions, according to WHO.
The evacuation was described by WHO as a "high-risk mission," saying it occurred over a 20-hour period as intense fighting and shelling continued in proximity of the hospital.
About 100 patients remain at the hospital, according to WHO.
-ABC News' Eric Strauss
Biden says release of hostages 'just the beginning'
President Joe Biden said Friday that the release of 24 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza is "just the beginning" of a plan to free 50 of the more than 230 captives over four days.
“It's only a start, but so far it's gone well,” Biden said in a televised address from Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he and first lady Jill Biden are vacationing.
He said Friday's hostage release is part of a deal "reached by extensive U.S. diplomacy, including numerous calls I've made from the Oval Office to leaders across the region," including calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the emir of Qatar.
“All of these hostages have been through a terrible ordeal, and this is the beginning of a long journey of healing for them,” Biden said. “Today has been a product of a lot of hard work and weeks of personal engagement.”
Biden said that under the deal, more hostages would be released over the next three days with 50 being "our goal." But he added, "We also will not stop until we get these hostages brought home and an answer to their whereabouts.”
The president said U.S. officials do not know when Americans -- including two women and 4-year-old Abigail Edan, whose parents were killed by Hamas terrorists -- will be among those that are released or their conditions. He added, “We expect it to occur” and that it’s his “hope and expectation” that it “will be soon.”
Biden said the four-day cease-fire that was negotiated for the release of the hostages will allow time to "accelerate and expand humanitarian assistance going into Gaza."
Speaking of the children freed on Friday, one just 2 years old, Biden said, “The teddy bears waiting to greet those children at the hospital are a stark reminder of the trauma these children have been through at such a very young age.”
Video: Biden speaks after first group of hostages released
-ABC News' Justin Gomez
200 trucks enter Gaza with humanitarian aid during pause: UN
There were 200 trucks carrying aid that entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing on Friday -- the first day of the humanitarian pause.
Of those 200 trucks, 137 unloaded goods at the reception point for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the aid organization said. It was the largest single-day delivery of aid since Oct. 7, the agency said.
Also, 129,000 liters of fuel and four trucks of gas crossed into Gaza through the border, the U.N. said. President Joe Biden said Friday both fuel and cooking gas were delivered to Gaza.
Twenty-one critically injured patients from northern Gaza were also evacuated through the border.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
Released hostages flown by helicopter to Israel hospitals
Twenty-two of the 24 Israeli and foreign citizens released by Hamas on Friday were first taken to the Hatzerim Air Force base in Israel before being transferred by military helicopters to hospitals, where they are to be reunited with their families, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Two Israeli citizens were taken directly to hospitals by ambulance, the IDF said.
The returning hostages were escorted by IDF personnel, including medical personnel, the IDF said. IDF representatives were with the family members of the hostages to give them regular updates on the release of their loved ones, the IDF said.
Israeli Air Force helicopters were waiting at Hatzerim base to fly the returnees to the hospitals, according to the IDF.
Video: Names of first Israeli hostages released
-ABC News' Matt Gutman
Israel releases info on freed Palestinian prisoners
Thirty-nine Palestinian prisoners were released Friday evening in accordance with the deal between Hamas and Israel to free hostages in Gaza.
"Tonight we finished the first day of our mission to bring the abductees home," Rabbi Gondar Cathy Perry, commissioner of prisons, said in a statement. "We will continue in the coming days to act as much as is required of us in order to support the national effort."
Those who were released included female security prisoners and minor security prisoners, according to the Israel Prison Service.
They were released from three prisons: Damon, Megiddo and Ofer. Perry visited the prisons to oversee the operations, according to the Israel Prison Service.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
IDF releases video of moment hostages reached Israeli territory
The Israel Defense Forces has released a video of the exact moment vehicles returned the group of hostages freed Friday back to Israeli territory.
The group of Israeli hostages, held for 47 days in Gaza, crossed into Egypt from Gaza via the Egyptian-controlled Rafah border crossing. They will be transported to hospitals in Israel, sources told ABC News.
Names released of the freed Israeli hostages
The Israeli government released the names of the Israeli hostages released on Friday by Hamas.
All of the hostages released Friday were abducted from the Nir Oz kibbutz, according to a spokesperson.
The freed hostages, according to the Israeli Office of the Prime Minister, are:
- Doron Katz-Asher, 34, and her children, Raz Asher, 4, and Aviv Asher, 2;
- Daniel Aloni, 45, and her 5-year-old daughter, Amelia;
- Ruth Munder, 78, and her 54-year-old daughter, Keren Monder, and Karen's 9-year-old son, Ohad Monder;
- Adina Moshe, 72
- Hana Katzir, 76
- Margalit Mozes, 77
- Hanna Perry, 79
- Yaffe Adar, 85
The government together with all the security forces will accompany them and their families.
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