The armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Al Quds Brigades, said that it had handed over “some civilian detainees” tonight as part of an exchange with Israel.
Together with Hamas gunmen, fighters from Islamic Jihad were seen handing over 17-year-old Mia Leimberg, the latest child to be freed from captivity in Gaza.
This is the first time that PIJ, or any other party, has publicly acknowledged the group being involved in negotiations. Last night, a 12-year-old boy that they had featured in a hostage video weeks before was also released – though it was not clear whether he came from Hamas or PIJ custody.
A total of 12 hostages were freed tonight, 10 Israelis and two Thai nationals, in exchange for 30 Palestinian children and women being released from Israeli jails.
