Hamas releases three Israeli captives as fragile ceasefire holds | Israel-Palestine conflict News

Israel is ready to return 369 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails as a part of the sixth section of the change.

The Palestinian group Hamas launched three extra Israeli captives within the Gaza Strip because the sixth such change pushed forward following days of tense negotiations that threatened to undo the precarious ceasefire.

The three captives – recognized as American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, Russian-Israeli Alexander Sasha Trufanov, and Argentinian-Israeli Yair Horn – have been launched to members of the Worldwide Committee of the Purple Cross throughout a short ceremony on Saturday in Gaza’s southern metropolis of Khan Younis.

All three have been amongst these taken by Hamas following its October 7 assault on southern Israel.

Dekel-Chen, Trufanov and Horn have been seen carrying certificates for his or her launch and maps of Palestine. They have been transported again to Israel for medical examinations earlier than reuniting with their households.

With Saturday’s handover, the variety of captives launched by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad has reached 25 for the reason that ceasefire started on January 19.

Dozens of armed Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters guarded the sq. the place the handover passed off.

Lots of of Palestinian civilians, together with ladies, kids and the aged, gathered behind the safety cordon attempting to witness the discharge.

Al Jazeera’s Tarek Abu Azzoum, reporting from the positioning in Khan Younis, described preparations for the discharge as “extremely coordinated” and “marked by a strict safety protocol and symbolic show of energy”.

‘What’s going to occur subsequent?’

Hamas issued an announcement after the discharge saying it was “a renewed message” to Israel.

“The discharge of the sixth batch of enemy prisoners, confirms there is no such thing as a approach to free them besides by way of negotiations and by adhering to the necessities of the ceasefire settlement,” the group mentioned.

In return for the three captives, Israel is ready to return 369 Palestinian prisoners who’ve been held in Israeli jails, most with none prices or convictions. It’s the largest variety of Palestinians to be freed for the reason that starting of the ceasefire.

Many of the prisoners have been arrested in Gaza and will likely be despatched again to the besieged enclave. About 10 will likely be launched within the occupied West Financial institution, one in occupied East Jerusalem, and 25 will both be despatched to Gaza or Egypt.

Muhanad Seloom of the Doha Institute for Graduate Research informed Al Jazeera thus far each events to the ceasefire try to stay to the settlement.

“The powerful negotiations could be what comes after the primary section. Whereas the main target is on the discharge of the hostages, the principle query needs to be what’s going to occur the subsequent day?” he mentioned.

“What we see now’s Hamas sticking to its finish of the deal. Israel is extra elusive about it, which indicators it may not be dedicated to the second section.”

‘No migration besides to Jerusalem’

Uri Dromi, a retired Israeli colonel, mentioned, “each Israeli is glued to their TV display” watching the handover.

“On the identical time, persons are wanting past the current occasion and asking themselves right here what is going to occur in Gaza the subsequent day,” he informed Al Jazeera from Tel Aviv.

Referring to US President Donald Trump’s proposal to take away all Palestinians from Gaza, he mentioned: “I’d hope to see some change within the area – some higher future for the folks of Gaza. So long as Hamas and the Islamic Jihad are pulling the strings there, it’s not going to occur,” Dromi mentioned.

Trump’s proposal to forcibly displace Palestinians has been roundly rejected by Palestinian teams and international locations within the area.

“We are saying to the entire world: there is no such thing as a migration besides to Jerusalem, and that is our response to all of the requires displacement and liquidation launched by Trump and those that help his method from the forces of colonialism and occupation,” mentioned Hamas.