A few days after tense negotiations that threatened to cancel the volatile ceasefire, Hamas released three more Israeli prisoners of war in the Gaza Strip in the sixth exchange.
In return, Israel began returning 369 Palestinian prisoners who were held in Israeli prisons on Saturday. The maximum number of Palestinians will be released from the beginning of the truce.
The footage shows a bus road of Palestinian prisoners from Ofel Prison, arriving at Ramallah on the occupied west bank, where they met relatives and cheering supporters. More buses filled with Palestinians were drawn from Israeli prisons in the Negev desert heading to Gaza.
At least four of those released were immediately taken to hospital for treatment. The most well-known to be released is 48-year-old Ahmed Barguty, a close aide to iconic Palestinian politician Marwan Barguty.
Most of the prisoners are arrested in Gaza and sent back to the enclaves of the enclave. About ten are released on the occupied West Bank, one in occupied East Jerusalem, the others are sent to Egypt, and then to other countries that accept them.
Many older prisoners, including a 70-year-old man, were among the released people. Some were gay as they got off the bus, others looked stern, while some smiled and flashed the victory sign.
Many Palestinians wore their shirts inside out to cover their messages after Israeli prisons dressed up with the star of David’s logo, which they said in Arabic “will not forget or forgive” .
Released Palestinian prisoner Amir Abu Radha told Al Jazeera he spent 18 months in Israel’s Nafa Desert prison where authorities cut off water and electricity.
“Our situation in prison was very difficult and no one could stand them. For a year and a half we had no means of communication, so we were from the world. I was isolated,” Abu Radha said.
“Complete the ceasefire”
Three POWs in Gaza – Sagui Dekel Chen of America and Israel, Alexander Sasha Tulfanov, Argentina, Israeli Yale Horn, International Committee of the Red Cross at a short ceremony in a city in southern Gaza was released by members of the Khan Younis’s.
All three were one of the things Hamas filmed after the attack on Israel on October 7th.
Dekel-Chen, Trufanov, and Horn were seen holding certificates and maps of Palestinians for release. They were taken to Israel for a medical check-up before reuniting with their families.
Many people post messages such as “Sorry” and “Complete a Certain Fire”, crowds gather at “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv, and many people carry Israeli flags and posters It’s there.
With extradition on Saturday, the number of prisoners announced by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic jihad reached 25 since the ceasefire began on January 19th.
Dozens of armed Hamas and Islamic jihad fighters defended the square where handovers took place. Hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including women, children and seniors, gathered behind security guards to witness their release.
Reported from the Khan Younis site, Tarek Abu Azzoum of Al Jazeera described the release as “highly tuned” and “marked by strict security protocols and symbolic displays of power.”
“What will happen next?”
Hamas issued a statement after its release stating it was an “updated message” to Israel.
“The release of the sixth batch of enemy prisoners has confirmed through negotiation that there is no way to release them, except to comply with the requirements of the ceasefire agreement,” the group said.
Muhanad Selroom of the Doha Institute has told Al Jazeera so far that both parties to the ceasefire have tried to stick to the contract.
“The tough negotiations will be what will come after the first phase. The focus will be on hostage releases, but the main question is what will happen the next day,” he said.
“What we’re seeing now is Hamas is sticking to the end of the deal. Israel is more elusive about it, indicating that it may not be committed to the second stage. It’s there.”
“There is no transition except in Jerusalem.”
“All Israelis are glued to television screens,” said Uli Dolomi, a retired Israeli colonel, as he watched the handover.
“At the same time, people are looking beyond the current events and asking themselves here what will happen in Gaza the next day,” he told Al Jazeera in Tel Aviv.
Referring to President Donald Trump’s proposal to remove all Palestinians from Gaza, he added: As long as Hamas and Islamic jihad pull the strings there, that won’t happen. ”
Trump’s proposal to forcefully drive Palestinians away has been thoroughly rejected by Palestinian groups and the country in the region.
“We say to the whole world, there is no migration except in Jerusalem. This is against all the displacement and call for liquidation initiated by Trump and those who support his approach from colonialism and occupation forces. It’s our response,” Hamas said.
