The six male hostages are the last living prisoners to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire. Three of them, all in their 20s, were taken away by Hamas during the massacre that occurred at a music festival during the extremist group's attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Another hostage, Tal Shoham, was taken away from the kibbutz Be'eri in southern Israel when the kibbutz was stormed by Hamas during the October attacks. Shoham's wife and two small children were released in an early exchange later that year.
In addition, two men who had been held captive by Hamas since 2014 and 2015, respectively, have been released. They had crossed the border into Gaza on their own initiative, where they were caught.
Release Postponed
On Saturday, Israel was expected to release over 600 Palestinian prisoners. However, the release has been postponed as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government wants to hold security consultations first, according to political sources.
"Only after the consultations are concluded will decisions be made about the next steps," says an anonymous official to AFP.
The delay in the release is being criticized by Hamas, which calls it a "grave violation" of the ceasefire agreement.
Among the over 600 Palestinian prisoners to be released are more than 100 who have been sentenced to long prison terms in Israel and more than 400 who have been detained during the ongoing war.
In the final step of the first phase of the ceasefire, the Palestinian extremist group Hamas is expected to hand over the remains of four hostages during the coming week. At that point, the movement will have around 60 hostages left, of whom around half are believed to be alive.
Provided Wrong Remains
On Thursday, Hamas handed over the remains of several deceased hostages, but in one case, the remains belonged to the wrong person. On Saturday morning, the relatives of the deceased woman Shiri Bibas announced that her remains had finally been handed over and identified as the correct ones.
In negotiations about phase two, Hamas is demanding an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in order to achieve a "sustainable" calm as intended. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is sticking to his demand that Hamas be eliminated, and his more extreme government colleagues want the war to be resumed.
Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas agreed on a ceasefire that began on January 19 and was to last for six weeks in the first phase.
During the six weeks, Hamas is to release a total of 33 people being held as hostages in Gaza, most of whom have been held since the Palestinian extremists' attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Israel is to release a total of around 1,900 people. This includes some who have been sentenced to prison terms in Israel and some who have been detained during the war. Exactly how many will be released each time is unclear, but it is to happen simultaneously with Hamas releasing hostages.
When phase one is over, around 60 Israelis will still be held as hostages by Hamas. The idea is that they will be released in a second phase of the ceasefire, which is intended to pave the way for an Israeli withdrawal and a more long-term and "sustainable" calm in the Gaza Strip. However, the circumstances for this have not yet been negotiated.
