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What we know about the Gaza hostage and prisoner exchange

During the first six-week phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreed last week, Hamas is to release 33 hostages in total, with at least three hostages released each week.

In turn, Israel will release 30 Palestinians from prison for each Israeli civilian Hamas releases, and 50 for each soldier.

Hamas released the first three Israeli hostages from Gaza and Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, day one of the ceasefire.

Who was released on Sunday?

The first three hostages released were all women: Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari.

In exchange, 90 Palestinians were released from Israeli detention: 69 women and 21 teenage boys.

Many of the prisoners released on the first day of the ceasefire were recently detained by Israel and had not been tried or convicted.

This handout picture released by the Israeli Government Press OFfice shows family members welcoming Israeli hostage Doron Steinbracher at the Sheba medical centre in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, on January 19, 2025, after a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange deal in the conflict between Israel and Hamas was implemented. — AFP
This handout picture released by the Israeli Government Press OFfice shows family members welcoming Israeli hostage Doron Steinbracher at the Sheba medical centre in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, on January 19, 2025, after a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange deal in the conflict between Israel and Hamas was implemented. — AFP

Who is being held in Gaza? Who will be freed in the first phase?

The Israeli military said shortly before the ceasefire began that it had recovered the body of a soldier who had been killed in Gaza a decade ago.

That left 97 hostages in Gaza at the start of the truce. Israeli authorities believe around half of them are alive though they have yet to receive confirmation from Hamas.

The 33 hostages slated for release in the first ceasefire phase include women, children, men over 50 and ill and wounded captives.

In return, Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinians from its jails. They include 1,167 people detained in Gaza during the conflict and held in Israel, and 737 other Palestinian prisoners from the West Bank, Jerusalem or Gaza.

The second category includes members of militant groups, some awaiting trial, some held by Israel in administrative detention without charge and some who have been convicted of crimes, including attacks that killed dozens of Israelis.

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, depending on the route they take out.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, buses on Sunday carried the first wave of released Palestinian prisoners to Ramallah.

Israel is also expected to release some Palestinian prisoners into Gaza. It will deport others to Egypt with the understanding that they will be settled in a third country, with Qatar, Turkey or Algeria as possible destinations, an official involved in the plans told Reuters.

Header image: A Palestinian prisoner flashes the V-sign for victory upon his arrival in the occupied West Bank town of Beitunia, on the outskirts of Ramallah, following his release from an Israeli jail in the early hours of January 20. — AFP



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