Israel says all 20 living hostages have been released by Hamas to the Red Cross.
According to Israel, the last 13 surviving hostages have been released by Hamas and are on their way to Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.
Of the 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, 20 were believed to still be alive.
A first group of seven was released earlier today and is back in Israeli territory, while the remains of the 28 others are expected to be transferred later today.
Live video showed a convoy of five Red Cross vehicles carrying the remaining hostages leaving Khan Younis in southern Gaza, to the cheers of onlookers and surrounded by Hamas officers.
Hamas had pledged to release the hostages by today in exchange for 250 prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,700 Palestinians detained after the group’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.
More than 67,000 people have been killed in Israel’s offensive on Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Large swaths of the enclave have been destroyed, and famine has been declared in part of northern Gaza. (NBC News)
