West Asia: Hamas To Release 6 Israeli Hostages In Exchange For 602 Palestinian Prisoners Today

Hamas is all set to release the last six living Israeli hostages from a group of 33 to be freed in the first stage of the ceasefire deal today in exchange for several Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The hostage exchange on Saturday is taking place amid the ongoing controversy over the return of a misidentified body this week that threatened to derail a fragile truce.

According to Reuters, today Hamas will be releasing 27-year-old Eliya Cohen, 40-year-old Tal Shoham, 22-year-old Omer Shem Tov, 23-year-old Omer Wenkert, 36-year-old Hisham Al-Sayed, and39-year-old Avera Mengistu. In return, Israel is expected to release 602 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in the latest stage of an exchange of the first phase of the ceasefire.

Latest Controversy Over The Remains Of Shiri Bibas

The last round of hostage release and exchange for the first phase of the ceasefire is going to take place amid the raging controversy over the release of an unidentified body of a woman instead of the remains of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas.

Owing to this confusion, Israel firmly accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire while Hamas, according to the Associated Press, claimed that Bibas' remains appeared to have been mixed up with other human remains recovered from the rubble after an Israeli air strike that killed her and her two sons in November 2023. In a statement Friday, Hamas also said it would conduct a thorough review of the information regarding the body.

The four bodies to be returned by Hamas as part of the ceasefire were supposed to be of Shiri Bibas, her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel Bibas, and Oded Lifshitz. Israeli authorities said that while the remains of the two boys and of Lifshitz were positively identified, the fourth body was found to not be that of Shiri Bibas, but that of an unidentified woman from Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge Friday for what he described as a “cruel and malicious violation” of the ceasefire agreement after a body that Hamas released as part of the deal was found to not be that of an Israeli mother of two young boys, as the militants had promised.

About The Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

The ceasefire has brought a pause in the fighting but prospects of a definitive end to the war remain unclear. With mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, a ceasefire was agreed upon after 15 months of bloodbath and devastation of an unimaginable scale in Gaza. The ceasefire, to be executed in three phases, began on January 20.

Both sides have said they intend to start talks on a second stage, which mediators say aims to agree on the return of around 60 remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

The First Phase

In the first phase, lasting six weeks, hostages and prisoners are being exchanged. Thirty-three Israeli captives, including women, children, and older civilians, taken during the October 7, attack, will be released at the end of the first phase. 

In return, Israel will free a larger number of Palestinian prisoners, including women, children under 19, those detained after the October 7 attacks. The exact number of Palestinian prisoners to be released depends on the hostages freed during this phase.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu instructed a special task force to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza. According to the Associated Press, Israel's justice ministry has already published a list of 95 Palestinians to be freed starting Sunday once approved by the government. The release will not begin before 4 pm local time Sunday.

The second phase

The second phase of the ceasefire agreement, set to be negotiated by the 16th day of phase one, focuses on securing a permanent end to the war. It includes the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza, including Israeli male soldiers, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. A key part of this phase is for the war to stop permanently and for Israeli forces to fully withdraw.

However, both sides have conditions. Israel has stated that a full troop withdrawal will only occur once all hostages are returned and Hamas's military capabilities are dismantled. Meanwhile, Hamas has insisted it will not release the last hostages until Israel completely withdraws its troops.

The Third Phase

The third and final phase focuses on rebuilding Gaza and ensuring the return of the bodies of any remaining hostages. The reconstruction effort will be overseen by Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations. 

There is no clarity or agreement on who will govern Gaza after the ceasefire. While Israel has opposed any role for Hamas in the leadership, the Palestinian Authority lacks credibility among Gaza's residents, leaving the future leadership of the region uncertain.