Hamas is preparing to release three Israeli hostages in exchange for 183 Palestinians held in Israeli detention, marking the fifth transaction of a precarious ceasefire in Gaza.
This exchange occurs amidst significant regional backlash against a proposal by US President Donald Trump, which suggests relocating Gaza’s inhabitants and transferring control of the Palestinian territory to the United States.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed the receipt of a list of hostages to be released from Gaza, following Hamas’s announcement of three captives designated for freedom.
The individuals slated for release include Eli Sharabi, Or Levy, and Ohad Ben Ami, as stated by Hamas.
Ohad Ben Ami and Eli Sharabi were both taken hostage from Kibbutz Be’eri during the cross-border Hamas-led incursion on October 7, 2023, while Or Levy was abducted from the Nova music festival on the same day. Hamas has indicated that the handover will occur this morning.
In return, Israel will free 183 Palestinians from its prisons, including some convicted of participating in attacks that resulted in numerous fatalities, among them are 18 serving life sentences and 111 detained during the conflict in Gaza, according to Hamas.
Dozens of masked and armed Hamas fighters gathered in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, for the exchange, where hostages will be handed over to the International Red Cross Committee, which will then transfer them to Israeli forces in Gaza.
Former hostage Yarden Bibas, who was released last week by Hamas militants, has called on Mr. Netanyahu to assist in bringing back his wife and two children from the Palestinian territory.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu, I am addressing you directly… bring my family back, bring my friends back, bring everyone home,” Mr. Bibas stated in his first public address since his release.
Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza has left large areas in devastation.
Hamas previously claimed that Bibas’s wife Shiri and his two sons Ariel and Kfir, the youngest hostages, had died, although Israel has not confirmed their deaths.
Mr. Netanyahu, currently in Washington, will “monitor this phase of the hostages’ release from the control center of the delegation in the US,” according to a separate statement from the premier’s office.
This exchange represents the latest in a series of swaps that have thus far secured the return of 13 Israeli and five Thai hostages taken during the Hamas assault, while releasing 583 Palestinians from Israeli custody.
Despite complications, a 42-day ceasefire and hostage-for-prisoner exchange, facilitated with US support and mediation by Egypt and Qatar, has remained in effect since its initiation nearly three weeks ago.
However, concerns about the collapse of the deal before all hostages are released are mounting, especially following US President Donald Trump’s unexpected call for the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza and for the enclave to be developed into the “Riviera of the Middle East” under American governance.
Arab nations and Palestinian factions have dismissed the proposal, which critics argue amounts to ethnic cleansing.
‘Now is the time’, urge families of hostages
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum has appealed to the government to adhere to the Gaza ceasefire, even as Mr. Trump’s remarks incite anger across the Middle East and beyond.
“An entire nation calls for the return of the hostages,” the Israeli advocacy group stated in a release.
“Now is the moment to ensure the agreement is fulfilled – until the very last one,” it continued.
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According to the ceasefire agreement, an initial phase will see the release of 33 Israeli children, women, and elderly, sick, or wounded men in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israel.
Negotiations for the second stage of the ceasefire were expected to begin on Monday, but no updates on the talks’ progress have been provided.
The aim of the second stage is to secure the release of additional hostages and to pave the way for a permanent cessation of hostilities, which commenced on October 7, 2023, following Hamas’s unprecedented assault on Israel.
During that attack, militants abducted 251 hostages to Gaza. Currently, 76 remain in captivity, including 34 that the Israeli military reports are deceased.
Israel’s retaliatory actions have resulted in at least 47,583 fatalities in Gaza, the majority of whom are civilians, as per the health ministry of the Hamas-controlled territory. The United Nations has deemed these figures credible.
