183 Palestinians freed in exchange for three Israeli captives as fourth Israel-Hamas swap concludes

Ahram Online , Saturday 1 Feb 2025

Israel has released 183 Palestinian prisoners after Hamas freed three Israeli captives on Saturday, marking the latest phase of the ceasefire deal that has brought to a halt 15 months of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza.

Ramallah
A former Palestinian prisoner released by Israel is cheered upon his arrival in Ramallah on buses of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). AFP

 

Hamas handed over Israeli captives Yarden Bibas, 35, and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, 54, in Khan Younis, while American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65, was freed in Gaza City.

Israel later released 183 Palestinian prisoners from the Ofer Prison.

Among the detainees, 150 were transferred to Gaza, where large crowds greeted them upon their arrival in Khan Younis.

 

 

Among those released were individuals serving long or life sentences, as well as 111 detainees from Gaza arrested after 7 October 2023 and held without trial.

 

Meanwhile, 103 Palestinians, including 50 injured that require medical treatment, were transferred to Egypt through the Rafah border crossing.

Egypt has also announced that it received eight Palestinians who will be sent into exile as required by the Israeli occupation forces during the agreement. Similarly, 70 Palestinians preparing to travel abroad arrived in Egypt on Saturday.

 

After four prisoner exchanges, 583 Palestinians have been freed in exchange for 10 Israelis.

A total of 33 Israeli captives are expected to be freed in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners during the truce's initial six weeks, which will also see the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid to the territory devastated by Israel's barbarous war.

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