Fourteen Israeli hostages and three foreign nationals were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza on Sunday, the Israeli army said. This development coincides with the third day of the temporary ceasefire of hostilities, which also includes the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Jake Sullivan, the National Security Adviser of the United States, stated that there was "reason to believe" that a U.S. hostage would be freed from captivity in Gaza on Sunday.
“We have reason to believe that one of those Americans will be released today,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan refrained from disclosing the identity of the potential hostage to be released. When questioned about whether it involved a four-year-old girl whose parents had been killed, he responded, “We have a sense of who it is but I am just not in a position to confirm it.”
Later on Sunday, US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are set to have a scheduled call, as revealed by Sullivan in an interview with CBS News.
Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to exchange 50 hostages held by the Palestinian militant group for 150 prisoners in Israeli jails during a four-day truce. Thus far, Hamas has released 26 Israelis and four Thai nationals held as hostages, while Israel has freed 78 Palestinians. Egypt, facilitating the negotiation, reports receiving lists of 13 Israelis and 39 Palestinians set for a third release on Sunday.
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