Hamas releases six more Israeli hostages as first phase of ceasefire nears end

2025-02-22 17:51:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Hamas, the Palestinian group designated a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, has released six Israeli hostages - the last alive of a group of 33 people who were scheduled to be released in the first phase of a ceasefire in the war in Gaza.

Among the hostages released were two people whom Hamas had held for a decade, who had entered Gaza on their own.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement on X – formerly Twitter – that he rejoiced at their release "from the depths of hell, and they can now begin the healing process close to their families."

In exchange, Israel has released 602 Palestinian prisoners, including those convicted of serious violations, as well as other people detained since the start of the war.

Those who have had severe sentences have not been allowed to return to Gaza and have been sent to third countries.

This phase of the ceasefire began to be implemented on January 19, but negotiations have not yet begun for the second and decisive phase, which includes discussions on ending the war in Gaza.

"Completing the hostage agreement is a humanitarian and moral obligation," Herzog said in X.

The conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked settlements in southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 240 others hostage in Gaza.

Israel has retaliated by launching a devastating war in the Palestinian enclave, killing tens of thousands of people, according to local authorities, and displacing most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents.

Hamas has been heavily criticized for the way it handled the release of Israeli hostages, including holding public ceremonies and mounting the hostages on a makeshift stage.

The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross have criticized Hamas this week for its parade of dead hostages.

Among them were the bodies of two children and their mother, Shiri Bibas, but Israeli authorities said the body was not hers. The situation threatened to break the ceasefire for several hours, as Israel accused Hamas of "serious violations" of the agreement.

Later, Hamas handed over another body, and Bibas' family confirmed that the body was that of the deceased.

The Palestinian group insists the family was killed as a result of an Israeli attack, but Israel has said forensic teams show the mother and her youngest child were deliberately killed by militants.

The bodies of the remaining hostages will be released next week, completing the first round of the exchange.

Mediators have said the two sides plan to launch a second phase of negotiations focused on the release of the remaining 60 hostages - although less than half of them are believed to be alive - as well as the withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza.

In the current situation, the chances of reaching an agreement have been complicated by disagreements over the future of Gaza, as regional leaders have expressed shock at US President Donald Trump's proposal to remove Palestinians from the enclave and transform it into a US-controlled resort./ REL