Hamas frees six captives in Gaza

Six Israeli captives have been released in Gaza's Nuseirat, Rafah and Gaza City, in exchange for 602 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. The first phase of the ceasefire is coming to an end and the next phase is expected to be even more difficult, as it would require the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian territory.

The Hamas terrorist group released six hostages on Saturday as part of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that has been in place since mid-January. They are Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkrat, Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al Sayed. In exchange, Israel will release 602 Palestinian prisoners.

The new exchange comes after Tel Aviv's Abu Kabir forensic institute confirmed that the body handed over by Hamas on Friday night was that of Shiri Bibas.

New release of hostages in Gaza

The release of the hostages is part of the seventh exchange agreed between Hamas and Israel under the truce in force since January 19. In exchange, Israel will release 602 Palestinian prisoners, 50 of whom have been sentenced to life imprisonment, and 108 will be expelled from the Palestinian territories, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club. Among those freed were Hisham al Sayed, held captive for more than a decade, and Avera Mengistu, whose family celebrated his return after "10 years and five months of unimaginable suffering."

The releases come amid rising tension following the confirmation of the deaths of Shiri Bibas and her sons, Ariel and Kfir, who had been kidnapped on 7 October 2023. However, controversy remains over the circumstances of their deaths: Hamas claims they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, while the Israeli military accuses the Islamist group of killing them.

Negotiations for a second phase of the agreement, which seeks a definitive end to the conflict, have stalled, while the third phase would focus on rebuilding Gaza, devastated after more than 16 months of war.