Palestinian militant group Hamas has handed over three Israeli hostages as part of a prisoner swap agreement, marking a significant step towards ending the ongoing 15-month war in Gaza. The release follows the handover of 183 Palestinian prisoners and detainees to Israel, raising hopes for a wider peace settlement.
Palestinian militant group Hamas has handed over three Israeli hostages as part of a prisoner swap, marking another step towards ending the 15-month war in Gaza. Ofer Kalderon, a French-Israeli dual citizen, and Yarden Bibas were released to Red Cross officials in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, before being transferred to Israel. Keith Siegel, an Israeli-US citizen, was handed over separately at the Gaza City seaport. Hours later, 183 Palestinian prisoners and detainees were released in exchange.
Among them, 150 arrived in Gaza while 32 were freed in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, greeted by cheering crowds. One prisoner will be exiled to Egypt. Ali Al-Barghouti, who had been serving two life sentences in an Israeli jail, expressed joy upon his release, stating, 'The life sentence was broken and the occupation will one day be broken.' In Israel, crowds gathered at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv to watch the release of the hostages on giant screens, their cheers and applause punctuated by tears as the three men appeared. Kalderon, whose two children, Erez and Sahar, were released in a previous hostage exchange in November 2023, and Bibas briefly addressed the crowd in Khan Younis before being handed over to the Red Cross officials. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed relief and joy at Kalderon's release, stating, 'Ofer Kalderon is free! We share the immense relief and joy of his loved ones after 483 days of unimaginable hell.' This handover, unlike the previous one on Thursday, was conducted without the chaotic scenes that saw Hamas guards struggling to control a surging crowd in Gaza. However, uniformed Hamas fighters paraded in the area, showcasing their re-established dominance in the strip despite recent losses. This exchange brings the total number of freed hostages to 18, including five Thai citizens released unexpectedly on Thursday. Following this exchange, Israel has released 583 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including militants serving life sentences and some detained during the war but not charged. Diplomatic efforts to secure a wider settlement are intensifying as the fighting subsides. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, with the Gaza Strip ceasefire and potential normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia expected to be key topics. The initial six-week ceasefire, brokered by Egyptian and Qatari mediators and supported by the United States, has held despite numerous incidents that led both sides to accuse each other of violating the agreement. The Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the capture of over 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has devastated much of the densely populated Gaza Strip, killing over 47,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health authorities. Negotiations for the release of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip are expected to commence by Tuesday, marking a second phase of the deal aimed at achieving a lasting end to the war in the Palestinian enclave.
HAMAS ISRAELI HOSTAGES PRISONER SWAP GAZA WAR CEASEFIRE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
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