IDF confirms released hostages are inside Israel
TheIsraelDefense Forces (IDF) have confirmed that the Israeli hostages freed from Gaza are now in Israel and have undergone medical checks.
A statement from the IDF reads:
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.
Axios’ Barak Ravid has shared the full IDF statement in English:
BREAKING: All 13 Israeli hostages are in Israeli territory, IDF and Shin Bet say pic.twitter.com/GJuk9uWJMB
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) November 24, 2023
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari has held a news conference where he said the released hostages – 13 Israelis and 11 foreigners – have all undergone medical tests and are in good condition.
The freed hostages are being taken to Hatzerim airbase to complete physical and mental checkups, and to call their families, the Times of Israel reported.
The foreigners, from Thailand and the Philippines, will meet representatives of their nations, he said.
They will all then by taken by helicopters to hospitals, where they will meet their families, he said. He added:
We mustn’t forget this evening that each and every one of those returning home tonight still has a family member who has been murdered or has been held captive in Gaza.
He continued:
The sight of the hostages returning home and crossing into Israel gave us a great sense of relief and yet our heart goes out to all the other hostages still kept in Gaza.
