The Palestinian group Hamas has released three Israeli captives in two separate handovers in exchange for the release of 183 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, in the latest stage of a gradual exchange under a ceasefire deal reached after 15 months of Israeli attacks on Gaza.

French-Israeli dual national Ofer Kalderon and Israeli citizen Yarden Bibas were handed over to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Al Jazeera TV showed on Saturday.

Over an hour later, American-Israeli dual national Keith Siegel was handed over to Red Cross officials in Gaza City in the northern part of the enclave.

As soon as the three Israeli captives reached Israel, the process to free 183 Palestinian prisoners began in fourth such exchange under the ceasefire deal entered on January 19. At least 73 of these Palestinians had been serving long-time prison terms and lifetime sentences.

The first bus carrying a group of 32 Palestinians from Israel’s Ofer prison reached Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, where they were greeted by jubilant relatives. Among those released was an unnamed elderly Palestinian, who was transported in a wheelchair.

Of the 183 Palestinians to be released on Saturday, 111 were taken by Israeli forces in Gaza after October 7, 2023. They will be released separately in Gaza and seven of them will be deported elsewhere through Egypt.

There are an estimated 4,500 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons – 310 of them held under the so-called “administrative detention” without the right to a trial.

‘Quite incredible’
Earlier on Saturday, hundreds of Hamas fighters were seen lining up and managing the crowd in both Khan Younis and Gaza City, as Israeli captives Kalderon, Bibas and Siegel waved to the crowd of Palestinians during the handover.

The three captives have reached Israel, where they will undergo an initial medical check-up before meeting their families.

The fate of Bibas’ wife and two young children, who were also taken captive by Hamas, is still unknown.

Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from the site of the release in Khan Younis, described the handover as “well-organised” compared with the previous releases.

“The scene is quite incredible, without stampeding observed before. Usually, such handovers are made under very tense circumstances,” he said.

Luciano Zaccara, professor at Qatar University and expert on Middle East politics, said the latest release of captives proved that Hamas is still “able to organise and manage the situation in Gaza” despite the months-long Israeli bombardment.

“Even though Israel claimed that Hamas has been destroyed, the scenes we have witnessed give you an idea that Hamas is still there,” he told Al Jazeera.

“The exchange is moving without delay and we hope that the second phase of the ceasefire will start as planned.”

Basil Farraj an analyst from Birzeit University, said the release of the Palestinian prisoners “does not end the brutal conditions” that Palestinian are being subjected to in Israeli jails. He said Palestinians are treated as “sub-human” by Israeli authorities.

He also warned that Israel would like re-arrest some of those who have been released as in the case of previous cases.

Negotiations are due to start by Tuesday on agreements for the release of more than 60 remaining captives, the release of more Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in a second phase of the deal.

The initial six-week ceasefire, agreed with Egyptian and Qatari mediators and backed by the United States, has so far stayed on track despite a number of incidents that have led both sides to accuse the other of violating the deal.

Source: Al Jazeera 

BDST: 1700 HRS, FEB 01, 2025
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