Gaza Strip – A prisoner exchange between Palestinian detainees and Israeli captives commenced earlier today in the Gaza Strip, marking the initial phase of a ceasefire plan brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed the transfer of the first group of seven Israeli captives from Gaza. These individuals were handed over to Israeli authorities, with the remaining thirteen captives expected to be released later today.
According to the initial phase of the agreement, all twenty living Israeli captives held within the Gaza Strip will be released. In addition, the remains of 28 deceased individuals will be recovered and transferred gradually, contingent on progress in their retrieval from beneath the rubble of destroyed homes in Gaza.
In return, Israeli authorities will release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving lengthy sentences, including life sentences. Furthermore, 1718 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, detained following the commencement of hostilities on October 7, 2023, will also be freed.
Israeli authorities consolidated the Palestinian prisoners slated for release from five central prisons into two facilities: Ofer Prison, west of Ramallah, holding 107 prisoners, and Ketziot Prison in the Negev, housing the remaining 143. From these locations, they will be transported to the Gaza Strip and subsequently to the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The prisoner exchange is being overseen by a joint Egyptian-Qatari-American committee, which is monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
