In a significant development, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners last night, hours after Hamas freed three Israeli hostages as part of a ceasefire agreement. The truce comes after over 15 months of conflict between the Israeli military and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Delayed Ceasefire
The ceasefire was scheduled to begin yesterday but was delayed by nearly three hours. According to Hamas, complications on the ground and continued bombardments hindered the timely release of the agreed list of hostages.
Freed Hostages
The three young Israeli women, who endured 471 days of captivity, were described by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as having gone through “hell.” They are currently receiving medical care at Sheba Hospital near Tel Aviv, where their condition has been reported as stable.
Future Releases
An unnamed senior Hamas official told AFP that the next hostage release is planned for “next Saturday.” Hamas has pledged that for every Israeli hostage freed, 30 Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli detention.
