After nearly seven weeks in captivity, 24 hostages seized by Hamas in its deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel are now free after crossing into Egypt. In exchange, Israel released 39 Palestinians hours later at the city of Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
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Biden reiterated his commitment to pursuing a two-state solution for long-term stability in the region and thanked the leaders of Qatar and Egypt for their partnership in securing the deal.
Large areas of Gaza have been devastated by Israeli airstrikes and tanks since the conflict began, leaving much of the territory’s 2.3 million people without electricity, food and clean water.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, UNRWA said: “No matter how much they provide — it is difficult to meet demands of the whole” Gaza Strip, adding that “over-crowding and unsanitary conditions” were leading to the spread of disease.
The Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry said that two people were killed and 30 wounded when Israeli soldiers opened fire on them in the early hours of the truce.
Meanwhile, at the Qalandiya refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Raed Hhadeh, who teaches physics at a school in Ramallah, said he had mixed feelings about the cease-fire.
NPR’s Scott Neuman and Daniel Estrin reported from Tel Aviv and Brian Mann contributed from Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
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