Israel and Hamas have carried out a prisoner swap, the newest trade beneath the deal to safe a ceasefire within the struggle in Gaza.
Hamas launched three Israeli captives on Saturday morning, whereas Israel’s jail service confirmed it launched 183 Palestinians, saying in an announcement that they “had been transferred from a number of prisons throughout the nation” earlier than being taken to the occupied West Financial institution, occupied East Jerusalem and Gaza.
The trade is the fifth beneath the truce settlement, which took impact on January 19 however already seems increasingly fragile amid United States President Donald Trump’s proposal to forcibly displace Palestinians from the besieged enclave.
Rigorously managed launch
Hamas handed the Israeli captives over to the Worldwide Committee of the Purple Cross at a fastidiously managed occasion on Saturday morning.
The three male civilians – Eli Sharabi, 52, Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56 – had been launched beneath the primary part of the truce, which runs till early March.
Forward of the handover, they appeared on a stage arrange in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, surrounded by Qassam Brigades fighters and holding up launch certificates.
Banners on the stage learn: “We’re the flood, we’re the struggle’s subsequent day.”
Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum reported that crowds chanted their assist for the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s army wing.
A bus carrying Palestinian prisoners launched from Israeli jails beneath the Gaza ceasefire deal has arrived in Ramallah within the occupied West Financial institution, the place they had been greeted by a jubilant crowd and Palestinian safety personnel. pic.twitter.com/fPgp1Uv3Ym
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) February 8, 2025
Shortly after the discharge of the Israelis, tv footage confirmed a bus leaving the Ofer Jail within the occupied West Financial institution. Dozens of launched Palestinians disembarked shortly afterwards within the city of Ramallah to scenes of jubilation from the ready crowd.
Seven Palestinians amongst these launched had been admitted to hospitals upon arriving in Ramallah, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society mentioned.
Seven will probably be transferred to Egypt forward of additional deportation.
Among the many Palestinians set for launch had been senior Hamas figures. Iyad Abu Shakhdam, 49, was jailed for almost 21 years over his involvement in Hamas assaults on Israel within the Palestinian rebellion of the early 2000s.
Jamal al-Tawil, a distinguished Hamas politician within the occupied West Financial institution and former mayor of the village of el-Bireh, close to Ramallah, spent almost twenty years out and in of Israeli detention, most just lately with out cost.
Frail and gaunt
Pictured as they had been launched, the trio of Israelis appeared gaunt and frail following their 16-month ordeal.
“The disturbing photographs from the discharge of Ohad, Eli, and Or function one more stark and painful proof that leaves no room for doubt – there is no such thing as a time to waste for the hostages! We should get all of them out, right down to the final hostage. Now!” mentioned the Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board in an announcement.
The three had been swiftly handed to Israeli army and intelligence officers, in line with an announcement by the military, to be “escorted” to Israel by elite items.
Hamas has launched three Israeli captives and handed them over to the Worldwide Committee of the Purple Cross in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah. pic.twitter.com/WrOZSTHO5f
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) February 8, 2025
Sharabi and Ben Ami had been taken from Kibbutz Be’eri, a farming group focused by Hamas throughout its assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, wherein about 1,200 individuals had been killed and 250 taken captive. Levy was kidnapped from the Nova music pageant.
Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut mentioned the primary captive launched, talking on stage in Hebrew amid the armed Hamas fighters, referred to as on the Israeli authorities to comply with by with phases two and three of the deal. “The vast majority of the Israeli public desires this too,” she mentioned.
On Tel Aviv’s Hostage Sq., Israelis waited “with bated breath”, she mentioned. “This has change into a symbolic place for relations of captives … and for the better Israeli public, who’ve been campaigning for his or her launch and attempting to place stress on [Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu … to stick to this deal.”
West Financial institution raids
In a single day, the Israeli army is reported to have carried out raids throughout the West Financial institution on the household houses of a number of the Palestinians set for launch.
The Palestinian Data Heart mentioned homes within the village of Deir Nidham, northwest of Ramallah had been among the many targets whereas “dozens” of individuals within the metropolis of Qalqilya had been arrested.
⬅️مشهد من اعتقال قوات الاحتلال عشرات الشبان خلال اقتحام بلدة عزون شرق قلقيلية مساء الأمس pic.twitter.com/sOJRz7wJDO
— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) February 7, 2025
Second part unclear
The primary 42-day part of the ceasefire settlement, which requires 33 Israeli captives and almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners to be launched, has thus far held regardless of uproar over Trump’s proposal to clear Gaza of its inhabitants and take over the territory.
Up to now, 18 Israeli captives and 550 Palestinian prisoners have been exchanged. However it’s feared that Trump’s plan may complicate talks over the second and tougher part, when Hamas is to launch the remaining captives in return for a long-lasting ceasefire.
The armed group is believed to have little motivation to surrender the leverage that the captives characterize ought to there be a prospect that the US and Israel would then embark on an ethnic cleaning of the enclave.
A 3rd part of the settlement requires the reconstruction of Gaza, however US officers have additionally just lately raised important doubts over that.
The primary part of the ceasefire additionally contains the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and a rise in humanitarian support to the territory. Final week, wounded Palestinians had been allowed to depart Gaza for Egypt for the primary time since Could.
It’s unclear whether or not Israel and Hamas have begun negotiating the second part, and it’s feared that the devastating struggle, which has killed greater than 61,709 individuals in Gaza, a determine which now contains not less than 14,222 lacking and presumed lifeless, may resume in early March.
Greater than 100 of the captives that Hamas took had been launched throughout a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. Greater than 70 are nonetheless in Gaza, nonetheless, not less than a 3rd are believed to be lifeless.
