Hamas hands over last six Israeli hostages alive in first phase of truce

CairoHamas on Saturday handed over the last six living Israeli hostages it had promised to release. during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement signed with Israel in January, and in exchange, the Israeli authorities have released more than 600 Palestinian prisoners. With the last planned exchange of prisoners having been successfully completed, attention is now turning to the second phase of the truce, which is expected to begin in early March, despite the fact that there are still deep disagreements pending negotiation between Tel Aviv and the Palestinian movement.

Unlike the previous groups, the Israeli hostages released on Saturday were handed over to Red Cross teams in three shifts and at different locations. The first two, including a 37-year-old man who was captured by Hamas in 2014 after entering Gaza alone, were released in Rafah, in the south of the Strip. After them, three other captives, men between 22 and 27 years old, were handed over to the Nuseirat refugee camp, in the centre of the enclave. The last was a 37-year-old Israeli Bedouin citizen who had been detained by Hamas in 2015 after arriving in the Strip on his own and who was released in Gaza City.

Ceremonies

In Rafah and Nuseirat, Hamas has again handed over hostages during public ceremonies that have been seen as acts of political propaganda humiliating for the Israeli captives. In a statement, the group said that the presence of the public is a message that "the bond between our people and the resistance is deep-rooted and solid." In Tel Aviv, despite the rain, groups of people also gathered in the central Ostatges Square to follow the release of the captives on large screens, with Israeli flags and photos of the hostages. Later, images of the Israeli hostages being reunited with their families were broadcast.

The family of the hostage held in Gaza since 2014 said in a statement that they had endured "ten years and five months of unimaginable suffering" and lamented that their efforts to secure his return during this time "went unanswered" until Saturday. The relatives of the other captive released earlier in the day also said it was an "unforgettable moment" but called for the current "window of opportunity" not to be wasted to ensure that the rest of the hostages in Gaza, including the bodies of those who are dead, are also released, as is planned.

Prisoners released

Following the handover of Hamas hostages, Israeli authorities have released 602 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were held in Israeli jails despite never having been charged or tried. Of the Palestinians released on Saturday, about 50 were serving life sentences and about 60 were serving long sentences, Palestinian media reported. More than 100 will be deported immediately.

Hours before the latest exchange, the Israeli family to whom Hamas mistakenly returned remains that were not their relative's on Thursday confirmed that the Palestinian group had handed over a new body on Friday that did match. Hamas blamed the mistake on the devastation and chaos caused by Israel's bombing of Gaza, where thousands of people are still buried under the rubble.

Following the latest hostage exchange between Hamas and Israel, the parties are expected to intensify negotiations in the coming days to bridge the gap and lay the groundwork for the second phase of the ceasefire, which is scheduled to begin on March 1, although it could be delayed. On Saturday, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem confirmed in a statement that the group is "totally serious" about completing the exchange of the remaining captives in exchange for a sustained ceasefire, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza and the release of more prisoners.