Hamas Releases 4 Hostage Bodies, Israel Releases 620 Palestinian Prisoners

The four bodies returned by Hamas were identified as Tsachi Idan, Itzhak Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi, and Shlomo Mantzur. The handover of their coffins to ICRC officials this time took place without any ceremony or media presence, unlike the previous exchange.

"We returned the bodies in accordance with the ceasefire agreement," said Abu Obaida, Spokesperson for the Al Qassam Brigades, the military unit of Hamas, to NBC media.

On the same day, Red Cross buses were seen leaving various prisons in Gaza and Israel. In accordance with the agreement, Israel released 620 Palestinian prisoners. They were initially imprisoned in Israel or Gaza after the conflict erupted. The buses arrived in Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine.

The prisoners were still wearing their prison uniforms. Some covered them with the typical Palestinian skullcap scarves. They raised their fists and shouted "Allahu Akbar" as they returned to Palestine.

Ramallah Governor Leila Ghannam supervised the repatriation of the detainees. Before returning to their families, they underwent a brief health check.

According to records, the released prisoners consisted of 445 men and 24 women and children. They were held by the Israeli military when the war broke out.

The war occurred after Hamas' Aqsa Storm operation against Israel on October 7, 2023. In addition, there are also 151 life prisoners for carrying out deadly attacks on Israeli citizens.

The Aqsa Storm attack killed 1,112 Israelis. Hamas and other Palestinian factions also kidnapped 250 hostages. They have been released in stages, some alive and some dead.

In response to the Aqsa Storm, Israel bombarded the Gaza Strip, displacing 2 million of its residents. Hamas's Health Ministry reported that the death toll from the Israeli attacks was 48,300. The majority were women and children.

On January 19, 2025, with Egyptian mediation, Hamas and Israel reached a first phase ceasefire agreement. The content was that Hamas returned 33 hostages, including 8 who had died. So far, 29 hostages have been returned.

In return, Israel released 1,900 prisoners. Israeli troops also withdrew from Gaza and various social aid was to be allowed into the territory.

The first phase of the ceasefire ended on Friday (28/2/2025). As of Saturday (1/3/2025), it should have entered the second phase. So far, there has been no announcement from Hamas-Israel regarding the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire. There are still 59 hostages that have not been released by Hamas.

"There is no proposal regarding the second phase, although we are ready to go further," Hamas said, as quoted by ABC media.

Referring to the ceasefire agreement on January 19, the second phase was also 42 days like the first phase. The agreement is for the return of the remaining Hamas hostages.

On the other hand, Israel withdrew all troops from Gaza and stopped any attacks permanently. Israel also released the agreed number of Palestinian prisoners.

After the second phase is completed, there is a third phase for 42 days. This is the return of the remains of hostages and prisoners by both parties. In this phase, the reconstruction of Gaza will begin.

Compensation to injured people under the supervision of several countries and institutions. Some of them are the United Nations, Egypt and Qatar.

Arab League nations are formulating proposals to counter a plan put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump, who says he wants to buy Gaza and turn it into a luxury resort city on the Mediterranean coast.

According to Trump, Palestinians in Gaza will be told to move to other countries. One of the reasons is as a security guarantee for the Netanyahu government. As long as there are Palestinians in Gaza, it is feared that the conflict could erupt again.

The empty Gaza, in Trump's mind, is being transformed into a tourist city resembling the European Riviera. This idea has been rejected by the UN and countries around the world as unethical. It amounts to genocide because it systematically uproots a people from their homeland.

At the same time, Israel continues to escalate tensions. They directed tanks to occupy the West Bank city of Jenin. This is the first time in 20 years that Israeli tanks have entered the West Bank. (AFP/Reuters)