Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari, has announced that the International Red Cross has received 24 civilians who were detained in the Gaza Strip.
Among those released are 13 Israeli citizens, including some with dual citizenship, along with 10 Thai citizens and a Filipino citizen.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that the Israeli hostages freed from Gaza were inside Israel, and they were undergoing medical examination.
A statement from the IDF read, "The released hostages underwent an initial medical assessment inside Israeli territory. They will continue to be accompanied by IDF soldiers as they make their way to Israeli hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families."
Earlier, Ansari confirmed the release of 39 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons.
Two Palestinians killed
Meanwhile, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians and injured 11 others on Friday as they attempted to move toward northern Gaza, according to AP reports.
Bodies and wounded individuals were observed at a hospital in Deir al-Balah in southern Gaza.
The injured had sustained gunshot wounds to their legs.
The incident occurred as hundreds of Palestinians, who had sought refuge in southern Gaza, were seen attempting to return to the north despite Israeli army warnings against doing so.
Witnesses reported Israeli troops firing on people trying to head north.
One displaced resident, Sofian Abu Amer, explained the dire situation, stating, “We don’t have enough clothes, food, and drinks.” He expressed the belief that the current circumstances were so disastrous that "It’s better for a person to die."
