you are in the "cnn newsroom." i'm alex marquardt in washington alongside kaitlan collins in tel aviv. jim acosta is off tonight. thank you very much for joining us. israel moves towards a fourth and possibly final day of its temporary truce with hamas. so much will demand on how many more hostages get released after three successful days of hostage releases. hamas says it wants to extend the pause in the fighting. a source telling cnn that israel's war cabinet is also discussing that possibility. but today it was yet another emotional day for so many families in israel. a third group of 17 hostages held inside the gaza strip since early october, they were finally freed. here are some of the early images, or images we've just again some of those families, finally imbembracing after weekf uncertainty. a total of 17 hostages today, including three thai nationals, and these pictures that you're looking at there, those are 14 of the israeli hostages who were released from captivity. they range in age from 4 to 84 years old. they're mostly women and children. one of them is a male russian israeli citizen. he was released as part of a separate agreement between russia and hamas. i want to get now to our kaitlan collins who is in tel aviv for more on the breaking developments. kaitlan? >> we are entering that fourth day. we're waiting to see what the decision here. one thing we did not see in the first two groups of hostages released by hamas, we saw an american citizen among them. it is one that everyone has remembered her face and her name, 4-year-old abigail edan. she turned 4 years old while she was in captivity. both of her parents were murdemurder ed by hamas. only her two siblings survived. her family is joyous that she is finally safe and in a hospital at this moment, saying there are no words to express our relief. we've heard from many of her family members about that. she is just one part of this story of so many others who are coming back to a life of loss and learning what that new life looks like. also tonight, we're learning that as part of this deal with hamas, when they release those israeli hostages, they also released a round of palestinian prisoners from here in israel. tonight we were told that group of 39 palestinian prisoners is made up of teenaged boys. they are all 18 years old and younger. you saw them making their way back home to the west bank today after being released from israeli jails. i want to bring in cnn's matthew chance, who is tracking all of this and was outside of children's medical center earlier. you were speaking with some of the families as they were talking about all of this. here it is 2:00 in the morning local. we have not yet gotten confirmation that israel has gotten the fourth list of names. and typically around this time is when israel gets it. what are we expecting on day four of this? >> well, i think what we've come to expect over the course of the past three days is that, you know, there are possibilities that this could be delayed. we've seen a big delay yesterday. today it went very smoothly. but yesterday there was a time when we were discussing here this whole thing could have fallen to pieces. today it's gone very smoothly. there haven't been the kind of obstacles in place that we saw the day before, but tomorrow is another day. so every day we're seeing this whole process which is complicated logistically and has lots of moving parts, as we've been saying start all over again. and with each day, brings, you know, new risks that it could be delayed and new uncertainties as well. so we'll see how it goes. certainly the hope is, and it seems on both sides, both on the hamas side and the israeli side that this could be continued, not just for tomorrow, but some time after that as well. >> they said up to ten days or so. you were outside that hospital. we've heard from so many of the families who say this is a bittersweet moment because the hostage families had become so close in this 51 days now. they've been speaking to one another while their loved ones are being held hostage. and the sentiment seems to be every time a hostage comes home, even if it's not their loved one, they do still feel the sense of joy that at least someone's loved one, parent, child is coming home. >> there is that, of course. there is lots of people who suffered absolutely terrible losses here that we've spoken to. and people who have still got their loved ones being held captive inside gaza. but even those people are very positive, very happy. the other families are being reunited as a result of these hostage releases. conversely, on the other side of that, you got a situation where some people feel perhaps survivors guilt. they're very joycious of the fact that their families are being reunited and the people are being released, but extremely guilty and saddened by the fact that there are still so many people inside gaza. that's an important point. there are still even after today's releases of 17 people, there are still about 183 or so people inside gaza still being held captive in very uncertain conditions. >> what are we learning about how these hostages were -- what they've lived through for 50 days, what it has been like for them in gaza? >> well, because it's -- they're scattered across the territory. they're not concentrated in one place. it seems like their experiences are being quite different to each other. they're not all having the same homogenous experience. one of the hostages who was released a few days ago came out to the press and talked about how she only got bread to eat, bread or rice, and they lost 7 or 8 kilos while they were there. it was quite difficult for them. on the other hand, the sister of one of the thai detainees, or captives rather who has come out has said that he is very happy and he was treated well. he wasn't tortured. he lived in a house, not in a tunnel, and he was given very good food and was satisfied with the way he had been treated relatively speaking. it just illustrates that people are being held by -- in different houses, in different locations, possibly by different families and different groups. and they're accordingly getting different treatment. >> yeah. and we're still learning so much about how the rest of the hostages were still there. matthew chance, thank you for that report. of course, there are major questions of who could be next. the white house today celebrating the fact that there was an american on the list. unlike the first two groups. the question, though, what about the others? the white house ultimately believed three americans are eligible to be released as part of this group for women and children. president biden himself coming out after abigail edan was released today saying he is hopeful more americans are could tom. cnn's priscilla alvarez is tracking all of this from the white house, and she joins us now. priscilla, obviously, there was this kind of rush earlier where the president was not expected to speak, and then he did come out. once we had known abigail edan was in israeli territory. what else did we hear from the white house today? >> as you mentioned, they are celebrating this move, but they're also pushing for an additional pause to they can release more hostages, because the president has mentioned that there are still americans unaccounted for, and there are two american women that they want to see released by hamas. and as you have mentioned here on the program, u.s. officials have said that israel is prepared for a pause in fighting if hamas were to provide or release 10 hostages on each day of that pause. and what the president was underscoring today in his remarks is that it's not only about a release in hostages, but also getting additional aid into gaza. and what the last few days have shown is that this is possible, an additional pause in fight cog see more of that unfold. take a listen. >> critically needed aid is going in and hostages are coming out. and this is still structured so that it can be extended to keep building on these results. that's my goal. that's our goal, to keep this pause going beyond tomorrow so we can continue to see more hostages come out and surge more humanitarian relief into those who are in need in gaza. >> and that pause in fighting was also raised in a call with president biden and benjamin netanyahu. earlier today along with additional discussions about the release of hostages. but what the president was celebrating again today was the release of abigail edan, the fist american hostage in this group in negotiated deal to be released. and the president talked about what she endured in captivity, calling what she had gone through, quote, a term trauma and saying that her experience was, quote, unthinkable. she returns to having no parents. those parents were killed on those terror attacks on october 7th. but the welcome news she has been released, and the hope that more hostages, and especially americans can be released in the days to come. but all of this is the product of diplomatic negotiations, intensive negotiations, and ones that are continuing hour by hour and day by day in hopes there could be more releases in the days to come. kaitlan? >> we'll all be waiting to see as this four-day truce hits day 4. priscilla avenue raese res from the white house, thank you. major question not just at the white house, but also here in israel, what's that going to look like at the end of day four. >> and a growing number of different parties expressing interest in that pause being extended into a fifth day. kaitlan, thank you very much. joining me is retired general mark schwartz. he served as the u.s. security coordinator for israel and the palestinian authority, which is a critical role in that fragile area. thank you so much for joining us. in terms of this potential extension of the pause, how does israel balance its concerns that hamas could use this halt in the fighting to rest and rearm? interest has expressed an interest to get back to the fighting, but at this same time they have this profound desire to get more of their hostages out. so their priorities of eradicating hamas while also freeing hostages seems slightly at odds. >> alex, good evening. yeah, i think you're correct. so certainly this pause has allowed hamas to rearm, refit, rearm to the degree that they can in terms of internal into gaza. also to rest reposition, based on what they've learned from the idf operations, the ground operations specifically to date. and as important, the idf are doing the same thing. i suspect that this evening the idf are poised to reinitiate offensive operations if in fact, you know, there is a delay, a delay will be on a couple of days of the last transition of day four. and then certainly they're going to be poised, as they said, if the ten released hostages per day does not continue beyond the fourth day of the negotiated pause that's already been in place. >> and speaking with gazans, including one earlier today, i know there is a lot of fear about when the israeli military could start that fight against hamas again. general we have to talk about the west bank. there is so much focus on gaza, of course. gaza now thankfully experiencing a temporary pause in this fighting be. new the west bank, the palestinian health ministry is saying that eight palestinians have been killed by israeli fire in the west bank in the past 24 hours. that's just part of a major spike this year in the number of palestinians who have been killed by either israeli security forces or extremist settlers. how concerned are you about how combustible the west bank, the possibility that that could become a second front? >> well, if i think you watched the release, i know we all have, of the palestinian prisoners over the last three sets of penn prisoners have been held under administrative control. you look at the flag of the palestinian authority is not flying, although the palestinian flag is flying. but i think more concerning is the hamas flag is flying. and you see these young men and women draping themselves in the hamas flag. to me, that's a real concern. since october 7th, my information is there has been 230 plus palestinians killed as a result of offensive operations targeted operations by the idf central command under the leadership of general yehud fox. i suspect a large number are in coordination with the palestinian authority. that has certainly been a long-standing security and palestinian relationship, despite it not being highly publicized. but i think more notably, we haven't seen accountability of the increased and drastically increase number of settler violence against palestinians. and that i think more than anything, more than these targeted operations could be the catalyst for greater unrest to occur in the west bank. >> before i let you go, general, you were the go-between, or a go-between liaison if you will between the israeli and american militaries. there is this conversation about conditioning aid for israel. what conditions do you think if any should be place on american weapons that are given to israel? >> well, that's a policy decision, obviously. but i do believe that we have a responsibility to discuss, as we did going into the lead-up of the offensive, to discuss with the israelis about the conduct of the ongoing combat operations that i suspect will continue after several days here. certainly, the -- i think in some cases unnecessary suffering that has been going on with the palestinian population inside of gaza. so i do think that's a really important discussion that needs to take place behind closed doors. also, i think the use of air interdiction or close air support now that israeli troops are on the ground, that's another discussion that needs to take place based on the significant amount of infrastructure that's already been destroyed. i caveat that with having been a former soldier, you don't want a fair fight. those young men and women of the idf are fighting a terrorist organization that play by no rules to include putting innocent palestinians civilians in harm's way as we've seen multiple times just since october 7th, as well as the precept to this attack. i think it is prudent for us to have those types of discussions in private. >> well, i know it makes you uniformed guys uncomfortable to wade into policy discussion, but you are in a suit now. so i appreciate you entertaining me. retired lieutenant general mark schwartz, thank you very much for your time tonight. >> thank you, alex. part of the israel-hamas truce agreement includes releasing palestinian prisoners from israeli jails. three palestinians for every hostage. that's the deal. more on that next as our special coverage continues. stay with us. celebrations again tonight in the occupied west bank after 39 palestinians were released from israeli jails. this was the third day in a row of these kinds over releases, all part of the exchange deal for hostages held by hamas to leave gaza. cnn's nada bashir has been this the west bank, speaking with some of the palestinians who are newly freed. here is a report. >> reporter: carried through the crowds, celebrated by thousands of palestinians, these boys are among 33 teenagers released from israeli prisons on saturday. this is for many here in the occupied west bank a moment of hope. and for those now freed, a moment of utter relief. "i'm so happy. i can't believe this is real," ibrahim says. "i don't even know what to say." this scene a product of a delicate four-day truce agreement between israel and hamas, set to see 150 palestinian prisoners and detainees released and at least 50 israeli hostages freed from hamas cabtivity in gaza. there are many palestinian families who will still be waiting anxiously to hear in their loved ones will too be freed. the family seen here on saturday has rallied for months, calling for the release of 17-year-old resam. he was seriously injured by israeli forces and later arrested in june, accused by israel of offenses, including possessing a weapon. but he was never charged. now he and his family are finally together again. "i can't describe to you how i'm feeling right now. i honestly can't believe it. i feel like i'm in a dream" his mother haneda says. "my son is finally with me. i thank god and pray every mother will be able to feel this joy. i pray god grants the palestinian people this happiness. we just want to be able to smile and laugh together." many of those now release ready among the other 3,000 palestinians held under administrative detention, meaning no charges have been laid against them, and no ongoing legal process. israel says some of those released were being held on terror or weapons charges. but in a list published by israeli authorities of 300 women and children eligible for release, throwing stones and harming regional security were among the most common charges. >> there are children here who have been in jail for eight years, five years, six years. it's unacceptable. many of them now have huge psychological problems because of the torture, at least psychological torture because of the way they were interrogated. it is a terrible atrocity that is practiced against these children. >> reporter: for the crowds gathered here in the occupied west bank, this celebration they say is a symbol of justice. bringing thousands of palestinians together to share in the joy of now reunited families. but for many, that joy is coupled with grief, with pain felt deeply here for the people of gaza. >> we're extremely happy, but still overwhelmed and extremely saddened by everything going on here in palestine, but at the same time still resilient, keep going with whatever we can do in order to hopefully achieve a ceasefire and hopefully later on a full liberation. >> look, alex, many of the teenagers we spoke to have been released as part of that truce agreement, have described mistreatment and abuse while in detention. and we have now received a response from the israeli prison service which has said that all of those that were released were serving time for serious offenses, and all prisoners are detained under the provisions of israeli law. but that issue of administrative detention is a deeply controversial practice in the israeli judicial system. it has been condemned by many international rights organizations, for many families whose children, whose loved ones are held under administrative detention, this is a moment of hope. many of course hopeful that they will continue to see their loved ones being released on monday, which is the final day of that truce agreement as it currently stands. alex? >> our thanks to nada bashir in jerusalem for that report. dozens of israeli men were captured by hamas and other groups on october 7th. so far, none of them have been released. we have a relative of one of those men joining g us next. stay w with us. as the third group of hostages taken by hamas has been released, the waiting game is only growing more grueling for the families of the dozens more of israelis who are captured on october 7th, especially those of israeli men. so far, no israeli men have been freed, only women and children as a part of this deal. amerie miran has not been seen since hamas terrorists descended on his kibbutz and tore him away from his wife and two daughters. his mother-in-law has joined us before. i'm so glad to you on again. and thank you for taking the time to do this, especially given everything that's going on. what's it been like just in the last three nights to see these three groups of hostages come home, be reunited with their families, and to know that right now as part of this deal, your brother-in-law is not part of that? >> thank you for having me again. the past few nights are emotional roller coaster. because we see the beautiful photos and videos