Israel has welcomed the release of dozens of hostages in recent days and says it will maintain the truce if Hamas keeps freeing captives. Weeks of heavy aerial bombardment and a ground invasion have demolished vast swaths of northern Gaza and killed thousands of Palestinians. With information hard to come by, authorities have only given approximate counts of the number of hostages held in Gaza. Another 21 hostages — 19 Thais, one Filipino and one Russian-Israeli — have been released in separate negotiations since the truce began. Before the cease-fire, Hamas released four hostages, and the Israeli army rescued one.

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Persons: Yehya Sinwar, Biden, Israel, ” Martin Indyk, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, —, Israel's, ”, Omar al, Dr, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ___ Magdy Organizations: —, Health Ministry, Hamas, World Health Organization Locations: RAFAH, Gaza, Israel, Israeli, United States, U.S, Egypt, Qatar, Brussels, GAZA, Al, Aqsa, Cairo, Lidman, Jerusalem, israel