Hamas handed over four female Israeli soldier hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza City on Saturday as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement rollout.
The soldiers had been abducted during the October 7, 2023 attack and had been stationed at an Israeli military base near Gaza. They were handed over in front of a large crowd before being transported by the International Committee of the Red Cross to Israeli forces.
In return, Israel is releasing 200 Palestinian prisoners today, including members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
This marks the second exchange since the ceasefire began, following a previous exchange of three Israeli hostages for 90 Palestinian prisoners.
The long-negotiated ceasefire has temporarily halted fighting in Gaza after a prolonged 15-month war.
As part of the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces will also withdraw from Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in northern Gaza. Many residents are already preparing to make the journey back according to Al Jazeera.
According to the Associated Press, the ceasefire deal is set to unfold in three phases. In Phase 1, which lasts 42 days, Hamas will release 33 hostages, including women (both civilians and soldiers), children, and civilians over the age of 50. In exchange, Israel will release 30 Palestinian prisoners for each civilian hostage and 50 prisoners for each female soldier. During this period, fighting will halt, and Israeli forces will withdraw from populated areas to the outskirts of the Gaza Strip.
Phase 2, also lasting 42 days, begins with a declaration of “sustainable calm.” Hamas will release the remaining male hostages, including soldiers and civilians, in return for a still-to-be-negotiated number of Palestinian prisoners and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
In Phase 3, the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages will be exchanged for the bodies of deceased Palestinian fighters. This phase will also include the implementation of a reconstruction plan for Gaza and the reopening of border crossings to facilitate movement in and out of the territory.