Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades to release 3 Israeli hostages

GAZA: Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades announced the release of three Israeli hostages on Saturday, with Israel releasing 183 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.

Among the Palestinian prisoners released, 18 were serving life sentences, while 54 others had received long-term sentences. A further 111 of the released prisoners had been detained during the recent siege of Gaza.

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The prisoner exchange is part of a broader agreement aimed at ending hostilities and facilitating humanitarian efforts in the region, despite Israel repeatedly violating the truce and killing Palestinians.   

The agreement, known as the “Three-Phase Proposal for a Durable Peace in the Middle East”, was mediated by the Rest Cross and involved multiple stakeholders, including Egypt, Qatar and the United States.

The proposal was initially drafted on May 31, 2024 and sealed on January 15, 2025, with the effective date set for January 19.

The agreement outlines a serial initiative that begins with a six-week ceasefire, during which all Israelis held hostages in Gaza will be released in exchange for a significant number of Palestinian prisoners.

The first stage of the proposal stipulates that for every Israeli released, Israel will free between 30 to 50 Palestinians, prioritising women and children.

Israel is also expected to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and facilitate the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes.

On January 19, three female hostages were transferred to the Red Cross, which facilitated their return to Israel. In exchange, Israel released 69 women and 21 child prisoners from the West Bank and Jerusalem, an operation codenamed “Wings of Freedom” by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

Following the agreement, humanitarian aid trucks began entering the Gaza Strip, providing essential supplies to the region.

Subsequent exchanges continued throughout late January and early February, with four female Israeli soldiers released on January 25 in exchange for 200 Palestinians prisoners.

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Similarly, three more Israeli hostages along with five Thai citizens were released on January 30. The occupying forces delayed the release of Palestinian prisoners using the safety of future hostages as excuse.

On February 1, three mixed-nationality civilians were released by Hamas, with Israel releasing 183 Palestinians.