A member of the Red Cross team signs documents before Palestinian Hamas fighters handover three Israeli hostages in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on February 8, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
Gaza: The military wing of Hamas, on Saturday handed over three Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross as part of the fifth phase of the first stage of the prisoner exchange deal with the Israeli entity.
The three prisoners are Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levy.
Qatar News Agency (QNA) correspondent said that the three prisoners were transferred to a location near Salah Al Din Street in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza Strip. Representatives from the Al Qassam Brigades and the Red Cross signed the transfer documents before the prisoners were transported to the Israeli side by Red Cross vehicles.
Under the terms of the exchange deal, Israel is expected to release 183 Palestinian prisoners from its jails. Among those to be released are 18 serving life sentences, 54 with lengthy prison terms, and 111 from Gaza who were arrested after Oct. 7, 2023.
The ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which came into effect on January 19, aims to end the bloody conflict that the Israeli entity launched on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023.
