What we know about the Gaza hostage and prisoner exchange
Freed Palestinian prisoners react from inside a bus that arrived with them after their release from an Israeli jail as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah, January 20, 2025. - REUTERS
The first three Israeli hostages were released from Gaza on Sunday under a ceasefire deal that includes the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
WHO IS BEING RELEASED ON SUNDAY?
The Israeli prime minister's office identified three women as the first hostages released: Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. The military confirmed that they had reached Israeli territory on Sunday. An Israeli official told Reuters the Red Cross said they were in good health.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners were to be released from Israeli detention. Hamas said the first group to be freed includes 69 women and 21 teenage boys.
The prisoners to be released on the first day of the ceasefire would not include any prominent detainees, and many were recently detained and not tried or convicted.
WHO WILL BE FREED IN THE FIRST PHASE?
The ceasefire agreement calls for 33 of the 98 Israeli and foreign hostages held in Gaza to go free over a six-week first phase, in return for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
The 33 include women, children, men over 50 and ill and wounded captives. Israel believes most of the 98 hostages are still alive but has received no confirmation from Hamas.
In return, Israel will release almost 2,000 Palestinians from its jails.
They include 737 male, female and teen-aged prisoners, some of whom are members of the groups convicted of attacks that killed dozens of Israelis, as well as of 1,167 Palestinians detained in Gaza since the start of the war and held in Israel.
Israel's Justice Ministry published its details on Saturday, along with the ceasefire agreement, which said 30 Palestinian prisoners would be released for each female hostage on Sunday.
During the first phase of the ceasefire, the Israeli army will pull back from some positions in Gaza and Palestinians displaced from areas in northern Gaza will be allowed to return.
A second phase, exchanging the remaining hostages and completing the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza is expected to follow, depending on the results of negotiations.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN HOSTAGES AND PRISONERS ARE FREED?
The hostages will be handed by Hamas to Red Cross officials who will take them to the Israeli military in Gaza. The military has set up three locations near the northern, central and southern edges of Gaza in Erez, Re'im and Kerem Shalom to take charge of the hostages, according to the route they take out.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, buses were awaiting the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli detention.
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