KEY POINTS
- Hamas releases three hostages in Gaza as part of a ceasefire deal.
- Israel frees 183 Palestinian prisoners in the fourth round of exchanges.
- Talks on phase two of the ceasefire, including further hostage releases, are to begin next week.
- Israel will resume military operations in March if the truce agreement is not extended.
CAIRO, Egypt: Hamas released three hostages in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday as part of its ceasefire deal with Israel, while Israel freed 183 Palestinian prisoners in the fourth round of exchanges under the ongoing truce.
The released hostages include one Israeli-American and one Franco-Israeli citizen.
The first phase of the six-week truce calls for the release of 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 prisoners, along with the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid to the war-torn territory.
Israel and Hamas are set to begin negotiations next week on the second phase of the ceasefire, which aims to secure the release of the remaining hostages and extend the truce indefinitely. However, Israel has warned that it may resume military operations in Gaza by early March if an agreement is not reached.
Ofer Kalderon, a French-Israeli dual national, and Yarden Bibas were handed over to Red Cross officials in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis before being transferred to Israel. Israeli-American Keith Siegel was released separately a few hours later at the Gaza City seaport.
The Israeli military has confirmed that Siegel is now in its custody after Hamas handed him over to the Red Cross in Gaza, AFP reported.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry said 50 Palestinian patients crossed into Egypt through the Rafah border crossing as part of the ceasefire deal. The reopening of the key gateway marks further progress in the agreement’s implementation.
Egyptian state-linked channel Al-Qahera News broadcast footage of the first evacuees and their 53 companions, including a child with an autoimmune disease, crossing into Egypt for medical treatment. Saturday’s transfer proceeded without the chaotic scenes that marred an earlier exchange on Thursday.
Negotiations for Remaining Hostages
So far, 18 hostages—including five Thai nationals released on Thursday—have been freed in exchange for 400 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
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Negotiations are expected to begin by Tuesday to discuss the release of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in the second phase of the deal.
Under the first-phase ceasefire agreement, 33 hostages were to be released, with more than 60 men of military age left for a second phase that remains under negotiation.
The initial six-week ceasefire, brokered by Egyptian and Qatari mediators with US backing, has largely held despite both sides accusing each other of violations.
Hamas’s attack on 7 October 2023 killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Since then, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza, killing over 47,300 Palestinians—mostly women and children—and devastating much of the densely populated territory, according to Gaza’s health authorities.