Nothing will stop us, says Netanyahu as Hamas releases 17 more hostages

On the third day of the truce, Hamas has released 17 hostages including three Thai and a Russian national on Sunday. Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed that Red Cross handed over 12 hostages who had returned to Israel, while others arrived through Rafah crossing and one was directly air lifted to Israel hospital.

“A short time ago, representatives of the Red Cross handed over 12 hostages who had returned to Israel to a force of an elite unit of the IDF and a force of the Shin Bet near the border fence in the center of the Gaza Strip. After that they will make their way to the base premises. One hostage who returned to Israel was sent directly to the hospital,” Hagari wrote on X.

Four hostages returned to Israel via the Rafah crossing to Egypt, where they will make their way to the meeting point with our forces in Israeli territory, he added.

Meanwhile, Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been touring Gaza Strip spoke with soldiers and visited one of the tunnels that been uncovered.

"We are here in Gaza with our heroic fighters. We make every effort to return our abductees, and eventually we will return them all," said Netanyahu.

"We have three goals for this war: eliminate Hamas, return all our abductees and ensure that Gaza does not become a threat to the State of Israel again."

Netanyahu added that his nation will continue the war until victory. "I am here to say to my friends here, to the fighters here, who tell me the same things, and I repeat this to you, citizens of Israel: we continue until the end - until victory,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Gaza Strip, during a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel | Reuters

"Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the power, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all the war's goals, and we will,” he added.

Among the hostages include a four-year-old Abigail Edan--a dual US-Israeli citizen. "She's free and she's in Israel now," said US President Joe Biden. "What she endured is unthinkable, he added.

Biden had spoken with Netanyahu after Hamas released the third batch of hostages.

The exchange was delayed on Saturday evening after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement. 

While the ceasefire has given Gazans a few days of calm. The United Nations said the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war.

March against antisemitism in London

Thousands of demonstrators against antisemitism marched in London on Sunday to protest against a rise in hate crimes against Jews since the Hamas attack on October 7. With placards raised with the message "Zero tolerance for anti-Semites", thousands joined the march.

Reportedly, London's Metropolitan Police recived reports of 554 antisemitic offences between October 1-November 1. Even reports of Islamophobic offences also tripled in London.