550 Palestinians and 18 Israeli hostages released in five phases
Hamas has released three more Israeli prisoners. They were released from a location in the Deir al-Balah area of central Gaza in the fifth round of prisoner exchanges as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas on Saturday. The freed prisoners are Eli Sharabi, Or Levi and Ohad Ben Ami.
They were handed over to members of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Saturday morning local time. In exchange for the three, Israel has released 183 Palestinian prisoners from its prisons. A bus carrying them arrived in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
Seven of the freed Palestinians have been admitted to a hospital in Ramallah. The seven Palestinians will be sent to Egypt, from where they will go to another country. Some of the freed Palestinians include senior Hamas activists. Hamas activist Yad Abu Shakhdam was imprisoned for almost 21 years for participating in attacks against Israel in the 2000s.
Meanwhile, Israelis have complained that the three Israelis released after 16 months of detention appear ‘weak’ in the film. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has called this issue worrying. The organization has demanded the immediate release of the remaining hostages.
Israel and Hamas have once again exchanged hostages and prisoners under the ongoing ceasefire agreement in Gaza. As a result, the number of Israeli hostages released in five phases has increased to 18. In addition, 550 prisoners have been released from various Israeli prisons.
In the meantime, the future of the ceasefire agreement has become dark. The possibility of negotiating and implementing the second phase of the ceasefire has become fragile due to the impact of US President Donald Trump’s explosive plan. After a recent meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Trump said that he is interested in taking control of Gaza.
He said that he would take control of the territory by moving the Palestinian residents of Gaza to another location. Although his administration later backed down from this position, those involved said the damage had been done.