Additional Gaza captives get freed by Hamas
(MENAFN) Hamas has freed three more hostages from Gaza as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). In return, Israel has released 183 Palestinians, bringing the total number of Palestinian prisoners freed to 583 since the exchange began on January 19. Meanwhile, 18 Israeli captives have been released from Gaza.
The latest releases include Israelis Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas, as well as American-Israeli Keith Samuel Siegel. The agreement, which aims to end the 15-month military conflict, was brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, and is set to occur in three phases.
The first phase has seen the release of 33 hostages, including children, female soldiers, and the sick, in exchange for an undisclosed number of Palestinians. Future phases are expected to secure the release of more captives, including male civilians and soldiers, and facilitate the return of remains from both sides.
The deal has faced challenges, with accusations from Israel that Hamas violated the prisoner swap terms. Additionally, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned disturbing scenes during the handover of hostages, when large crowds gathered to witness the release.
MENAFN03022025000045015687ID1109160464
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.