DEIR-AL-BALAH (Gaza Strip), Feb 8: Militants affiliated with Hamas are poised to release three additional hostages, all Israeli civilian males, on Saturday. In return, Israel is expected to set free dozens of Palestinian prisoners as part of a tentative agreement bringing a pause to hostilities in the Gaza Strip.
Former President Donald Trump’s controversial initiative to relocate the Palestinian population from Gaza has received support from Israel but faced intense opposition from Palestinians and much of the international community. This proposal does not seem to have disrupted the current ceasefire phase, which is in effect until early March.
However, it may complicate negotiations for the subsequent and more challenging phase, during which Hamas is expected to release a greater number of hostages in exchange for a long-lasting ceasefire. Hamas might hesitate to release additional captives—thereby sacrificing its primary bargaining position—if it suspects that the U.S. and Israel are genuinely considering the depopulation of the region, a move that rights advocates claim would breach international law.
The hostages scheduled for release on Saturday, as confirmed by Hamas and Israel, are: Eli Sharabi, 52; Ohad Ben Ami, 56; and Or Levy, 34. All three were kidnapped during the Hamas-led offensive on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the ongoing conflict.
On Saturday morning, dozens of armed and masked Hamas fighters, some operating white pickup trucks equipped with weapons, assembled at the designated location for the exchange, situated along the main north-south highway in Central Gaza.
This will mark the fifth exchange of hostages for prisoners since the ceasefire commenced on Jan. 19. Thus far, 18 hostages and over 550 Palestinian detainees have been released within this timeframe.
The initial phase of the ceasefire includes the release of 33 hostages alongside nearly 2,000 prisoners, repatriation of Palestinians to northern Gaza, and an increase in humanitarian assistance to the war-torn region. Last week marked the first occasion since May when injured Palestinians were permitted to travel from Gaza to Egypt for medical treatment.
Who’s scheduled for release on Saturday?
Sharabi and Ben Ami were taken from Kibbutz Beeri, one of the most severely affected agricultural communities during the Hamas offensive. Levy was abducted from the Nova music festival, where he had sought refuge in a saferoom when the militants attacked.
During the Oct. 7, 2023, assault, Sharabi lost his wife and two teenage daughters, and his brother Yossi was also captured and perished while in detention. Levy’s wife was similarly killed during the attack, and his now 3-year-old son has been cared for by relatives for the past 16 months.
On Saturday, 183 Palestinian prisoners will be freed by Israel, including 18 individuals serving life sentences for committing fatal attacks, 54 serving lengthy sentences, and 111 detained Palestinians from Gaza post the Oct. 7 assault. All are men, whose ages range from 20 to 61.
While Israel categorizes them as terrorists, Palestinians regard them as heroes resisting Israeli occupation. Nearly every Palestinian has a friend, relative, or acquaintance who has faced imprisonment.
Over 100 hostages were released during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023. More than 70 remain in Gaza, with at least a third suspected to be deceased due to either the initial assault or during captivity. Israel claims that Hamas has acknowledged that eight of the 33 hostages designated for release in this initial ceasefire phase are deceased.
The ceasefire is holding, but the next phase remains uncertain
It remains unclear if Israel and Hamas have initiated discussions regarding the second phase of the ceasefire, which involves releasing the remaining hostages and potentially extending the truce indefinitely. Without a consensus, hostilities could resume in early March.
Israel asserts its ongoing commitment to dismantling Hamas, despite the militant group reclaiming control over Gaza shortly after the latest ceasefire began. A significant far-right ally in Netanyahu’s coalition advocates for a resumption of warfare following the initial ceasefire phase.
Hamas has declared that the remaining hostages will not be released unless the war concludes and there is a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The onset of the war on Oct. 7 resulted in roughly 1,200 fatalities, predominantly among civilians. In Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes and ground offensives, more than 47,000 Palestinians have died, over half of whom are reported to be women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not disclose the number of militants among the deceased.
The Israeli military claims to have killed over 17,000 fighters but has not provided supporting evidence. It attributes civilian casualties to Hamas, arguing that its fighters operate within residential areas.
Notable militants among Palestinian prisoners eligible for release
Among the 72 security prisoners slated for release on Saturday, five are from East Jerusalem, 14 from the Gaza Strip, and the remaining 53 from the occupied West Bank. Seven are expected to be transferred to Egypt for further deportation.
A total of 47 prisoners will be released on Saturday from Ofer prison in the West Bank and handed over to Palestinian authorities at the Betunia crossing near Ramallah, where numerous relatives, friends, and supporters are anticipating a celebratory welcome for the returnees.
The Palestinian security prisoners were apprehended for offenses ranging from bomb attacks to participation in militant organizations, some cases going back several decades.
Among those is Iyad Abu Shakhdam, 49, who has spent nearly 21 years in prison for his involvement in Hamas-related attacks in densely populated civilian areas that resulted in numerous Israeli fatalities during the early 2000s Palestinian uprising, including a notorious 2004 suicide bombing on a bus in the southern city of Beersheba that killed 16 individuals, among them a 4-year-old.
Another notable figure is Jamal al-Tawil, a prominent Hamas politician in the occupied West Bank and former mayor of al-Bireh, adjacent to Ramallah.
He has been in and out of Israeli detention for nearly two decades, with his most recent arrest recorded in 2021 over allegations of participating in violent protests and attempts to solidify Hamas’ leadership in the West Bank. He was placed in administrative detention, a renewable six-month term where individuals are held without charge or trial.
Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war. The Palestinians aspire to establish their future state encompassing all three territories. (AP)
