(MENAFN) A high-ranking figure from Hamas announced on Friday that a prisoner exchange with Israel might commence as early as Monday, in accordance with a ceasefire arrangement concerning Gaza.

“The prisoner swap might start on Monday,” Mousa Abou Marzouq declared during a televised broadcast.

He added that Hamas has no intention of turning the exchange into a militarized or public spectacle, emphasizing a low-profile approach to the handover of captives.

The initial phase of the Gaza ceasefire understanding between Hamas and Israel was initiated at 12:00 pm local time (0900GMT) on Friday, as part of a proposal led by US President Donald Trump concerning Gaza.

Based on the agreement text published by an Israeli public broadcaster, Hamas is expected to free the living Israeli captives within 72 hours after Israel approves the accord.

The document further outlines that Hamas is obliged to share any information it has regarding deceased Israeli captives with a collaborative body.

This body will include involvement from Türkiye, Qatar, Egypt, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Israeli sources estimate that 48 Israeli captives are still in Gaza, 20 of whom are presumed alive. In contrast, over 11,100 Palestinians remain imprisoned by Israel.

These detainees reportedly face torture, lack of food, and poor medical care—conditions that have allegedly led to multiple deaths—according to both Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups and media outlets.

Abou Marzouq mentioned that Hamas possesses numerous negotiation tools.

“The prisoner file is one of the pretexts used by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to justify continuing the war in Gaza,”
he stated.

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