More Gaza hostages released by Hamas
Hamas has released three Gaza hostages as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which facilitates the transfers. In exchange, West Jerusalem has released 183 Palestinians.
The releases carried out on Saturday raise the total number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees set free under the deal to 583 since the exchanges began on January 19, while the number of Israeli captives released from Gaza now totals 18, the Red Cross highlighted.
Israelis Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas were the first to be released by Hamas. Shortly afterwards, American-Israeli Keith Samuel Siegel was released separately.
The exchange comes as a result of the ceasefire and hostage agreement clinched between Israel and Hamas in the middle of January to put an end to the 15-month military conflict that has left Gaza in ruins. Brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, the deal is structured to take part in three phases.
During the first stage, the militant group is set to release 33 hostages, including children, female soldiers, the wounded, and the sick, in return for an undisclosed number of Palestinians imprisoned by the Israeli authorities.
The follow-up phases are expected to secure the release of the remaining male civilians and soldiers held by Hamas, as well as the return of the remains of the dead from both sides.
Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decried what he called “shocking scenes” during the handover of one of eight Gaza hostages after video footage emerged that gunmen were struggling to control large crowds who had gathered to witness the release.
Since the truce deal was agreed, the Israeli authorities have accused Hamas of violating a prisoner swap arrangement and halted the return of Gazans to their home in the northern part of the enclave. Both sides have alleged ceasefire violations.
Israel's military confirmed on Thursday that it had killed 10 Palestinians in a strike on a village in the occupied West Bank the day before, saying it had targeted militants, according to AFP.
