As part of the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli government is set to release 369 prisoners today, Saturday. In exchange, Hamas, the armed political group controlling the Gaza Strip, will release three Israeli hostages.
Hamas’ military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, and the Palestinian Prisoners Media Office, an organization supporting Palestinian prisoners, confirmed this information in separate statements. According to the statement from the Prisoners Media Office, among the 369 prisoners awaiting release, 333 are residents of Gaza. They were arrested at various times after the Israeli military launched its operations in Gaza in October 2023. The remaining 36 prisoners are serving life sentences.
Hamas has already sent the names of the three Israeli hostages to the Israeli government. These hostages are Sasha Troufanov, Sagui Dekel-Shen, and Ayer Horn. They were among the more than 250 people taken hostage to Gaza during Hamas’ attack on Israeli territory in 2023.
Hamas’ military spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, told Turkey’s state-run news agency, Anadolu Agency, that this release process would be carried out “properly,” reflecting Palestinian “culture and Islamic teachings.”
On October 7, 2023, Hamas fighters launched an unprecedented attack inside Israeli territory, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. In response, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) began operations in Gaza that same day to retaliate and rescue the hostages. Over the past 15 months of continuous military operations, more than 48,000 people have been killed in Gaza, over 111,000 have been injured, and the region has been reduced to rubble.
Under significant pressure from the United States and other mediators, Hamas and Israel finally agreed to a ceasefire. Since the ceasefire began on January 19, Hamas has released a total of 16 hostages in five phases, while Israel has freed 766 Palestinian prisoners in return.