In exchange for the three who were held hostage by Hamas, Israel began releasing Palestinian prisoners on Saturday morning.
A total of 183 prisoners have been released, of which around 30 have been bussed to the West Bank. Among those released are several who have been sentenced to long prison terms or life imprisonment. Also included in the exchange were 111 people from Gaza who were arrested after October 7, 2023, and held without trial.
Taken to Israel
The release of the three men held hostage by Hamas took place in two stages via the Red Cross. Early on Saturday morning, Yarden Bibas, 35, and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, 54, were released. Both were taken away during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war.
Once free, they stepped onto a stage and waved to the audience that had gathered. They were then taken to Israel.
American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65, was handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City a few hours later and was then transported by helicopter to a hospital in Israel.
At the so-called Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, thousands of people had gathered. They cheered and waved placards as the release was broadcast live on a large screen.
Part of the Ceasefire
"Their release today is a ray of light in the darkness that inspires hope and is a triumph for humanity," says the activist group Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of most of the hostages, in a written statement.
The release is part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that began on January 19 and is scheduled to last for six weeks. During this time, Palestinian Hamas and their allies are to release 33 people being held hostage in the Gaza Strip.
In return, Israel will release a total of around 730 Palestinians from Israeli prisons, as well as around 1,100 who have been detained by the military in the Gaza Strip as part of the war.
