Israel expects Hamas to release more hostages as truce holds

GAZA/JERUSALEM: Hamas was expected to release a second group of Israelis on Saturday as a planned four-day truce to allow an exchange of 50 hostages for Palestinian prisoners continued to hold in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Egyptian security sources said they had received the names of 14 Israeli women and children from Hamas and were waiting for more details on when the hostages would be handed over to Egyptian authorities.

Israeli security officials were reviewing the list, though the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not confirm the number or timing of the expected release. Among those freed on Friday was nine-year-old Ohad Munder, who ran down a hospital corridor into his father's open arms, footage released by the hospital showed.

He and three other children released at the same time were in relatively good condition, Gilat Livni, the centre's director of Paediatrics told reporters. Some had spoken about their ordeal, she said, but declined to provide details. "They shared experiences, we were up with them until late at night and it was interesting, upsetting and moving," said Livni. Israeli prison authorities said they were preparing to release an additional 42 Palestinian detainees on Saturday, in line with the terms of the Qatari brokered accord agreed last week.

Under the truce - the first break in the seven-week war - 50 women and children held by Hamas are to be released in stages over four days in return for 150 Palestinian women and children who are among thousands of detainees in Israeli jails. Hamas fighters freed a total of 24 hostages on Friday.