Hamas released two of three Israeli captives on Saturday in the fourth exchange of the cease-fire agreement, ahead of the expected release of 183 Palestinian inmates held in Israeli jails.
Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas were paraded on stage before being handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, according to journalists, while Keith Siegel is scheduled to be released in a similar ceremony in Gaza City’s dock in the north.
Israel’s military later confirmed that Bibas and Kalderon had returned to Israeli territory.
As the first phase of a truce with Israel came into effect on January 19, terrorists in Gaza started releasing hostages after more than 15 months of hostilities.
To date, the International Committee of the Red Cross has received 18 hostages from Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants in return for hundreds of Palestinian captives, many of whom are women and children.
Israel will release 183 detainees later Saturday, according to the advocacy group Palestinian detainees’ Club.
During their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel which started the Gaza war, militants abducted a total of 251 people hostage. Of those, 76 remain in Gaza, including at least 34 the military says are dead.
Green Hamas and Palestinian flags flew at the Gaza port in a strong breeze.
Ranks of heavily armed Hamas fighters held portraits of the group’s slain leaders, including military chief Mohammed Deif, accused by Israel of being a mastermind of the October 7 attack and whose death was confirmed on Thursday.
The arrangements for hostage handovers in Gaza have sometimes been chaotic, particularly Thursday’s release in Khan Yunis.
Israel briefly delayed its prisoner release on Thursday in protest, and the ICRC urged all parties to improve security.
When Saturday’s hostage release is completed, Gaza’s key Rafah border crossing with Egypt is expected to reopen, according to a Hamas official.
Rafah was a vital entry point for aid into Gaza before the Israeli military seized the Palestinian side of the crossing in May.
The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Friday the bloc has deployed a monitoring mission at the crossing “to support Palestinian border personnel and allow the transfer of individuals out of Gaza, including those who need medical care”.
On Thursday, Israeli authorities released 110 inmates from Ofer prison, including high-profile former militant commander Zakaria Zubeidi, 49, who received a hero’s welcome in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
The fragile ceasefire’s 42-day first phase hinges on the release of a total of 33 hostages in exchange for around 1,900 people, mostly Palestinians, in Israeli jails.
Negotiations for a second phase of the deal are set to start on Monday, according to a timeline provided by an Israeli official.
This phase is expected to cover the release of the remaining captives and to include discussions on a more permanent end to the war.
