TEL AVIV – Israel will release 1,890 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages in the first phase of the ceasefire, mediator Egypt says.
But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will “not move forward” with the truce until it receives the list of hostages due to be freed by Hamas.
The first three hostages were released after the ceasefire began at 8:30 local time.
Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 back to Gaza as hostages.
The attack triggered a massive Israeli offensive on Gaza, during which more than 46,800 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Saturday evening that Israel would be “unable to move forward with the framework until we receive the listā of names.
āIsrael will not tolerate violations of the agreement. Hamas is solely responsible,ā he added.
Extensive planning has gone into the reception of the hostages, who are expected to be handed over from Hamas to the Red Cross, and then on to the IDF.
They will be seen by IDF doctors and psychologists, before being transferred to hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families and receive further medical attention. (BBC)
