Hamas Hands Over 3 Israeli Hostages in Exchange for 183 Palestinian Prisoners
The prisoner swap marks the fifth such exchange under the current ceasefire deal.
Hamas on Saturday handed over three Israeli captives—Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben Ami, and Or Levy—to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, Gaza.
This exchange was part of a fragile ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.
In return for these three hostages, Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners from its jails.
The three Israeli men were captured during the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023. Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami were taken from Kibbutz Beeri, while Or Levy was seized from the Nova music festival.
This prisoner swap marks the fifth such exchange under the current ceasefire deal.
The released Palestinian prisoners include prominent figures like Iyad Abu Shdam and Jamal al-Tawil. Some of the prisoners had been serving life sentences or lengthy terms related to serious offences against Israel.
“Among those to be released are 18 serving life sentences, 54 with lengthy sentences, and 111 from Gaza who were arrested after October 7,” said a spokesperson for the Palestinian NGO, Amani Sarahneh, told AFP.
This agreement is part of a broader effort to stabilize the region after over a year of conflict that began with the October 7 attack. The initial phase of this deal aims for Hamas to release at least 33 hostages in exchange for nearly 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Despite challenges posed by external factors like U.S. President Donald Trump’s relocation proposal for Palestinians in Gaza, both sides have continued with these exchanges as part of their temporary truce.
