In a crucial development in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, Israel has released more than 600 Palestinian prisoners after Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages. The exchange, conducted in the early hours of Thursday, marks the final scheduled swap before the first phase of the ceasefire deal concludes on Saturday.
The bodies handed over by Hamas are believed to be those of Shlomo Mansour, 86, Ohad Yahalomi, 50, Tsachi Idan, 50, and Itzik Elgarat, 69, all of whom were abducted in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks. Israel is currently conducting DNA tests to verify their identities. The exchange follows the controversial return of a misidentified body last week, which initially sparked outrage in Israel.
The prisoner release began late Wednesday, with buses transporting Palestinian detainees from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank. Reports confirm that dozens of released prisoners arrived in Gaza, greeted by cheering crowds. The 600 prisoners include more than 400 Gazans arrested during the war and 50 individuals previously sentenced to life in Israeli prisons.
Unlike previous exchanges, Hamas conducted the handover of the hostages’ remains privately, avoiding public ceremonies. Israel had previously accused Hamas of staging “humiliating” handovers, leading to delays in the prisoner release last weekend. In response, a Hamas official told AFP that the transfer was arranged discreetly to prevent Israel from finding reasons to obstruct the process.
Wednesday’s exchange followed intense negotiations mediated on Tuesday, after a prolonged deadlock. Israel had initially planned to release the Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, in return for six living and four deceased hostages. However, concerns over Hamas’s treatment of Israeli captives led to a temporary delay.
As the ceasefire deal nears its scheduled conclusion, uncertainty looms over the next phase of negotiations. The agreement initially outlined a second phase, which would involve the release of all remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for additional Palestinian prisoners. However, talks for this phase have yet to begin.
Meanwhile, in Israel, thousands gathered to mourn the deaths of three hostages—Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Ariel and Kfir who were among those killed in captivity. Their funeral procession was broadcast live, with large crowds gathering in Tel Aviv’s Hostages’ Square.
The conflict, which began on October 7, has resulted in the deaths of over 48,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, making it the deadliest war in the region’s history.
