Israel releases 200 Palestinian detainees
A ceasefire agreement between West Jerusalem and Hamas has resulted in the exchange of approximately 200 captives for four Israeli hostages. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Crowds filled the streets of Ramallah to welcome the prisoners, who were exchanged for four Israeli soldiers.
Approximately 200 Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. In return, the militant group Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers.
Israel’s prison service confirmed on Saturday the release of the 200 individuals, indicating that 121 of them had been serving life sentences for fatal attacks on Israelis, while the rest had been held without formal charges.
The released prisoners exited from Israel’s Ofer and Ktziot prisons and were evaluated by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Following this, 128 were returned to their homes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, while the others were deported, with 70 being taken in by Egypt, according to state media in Cairo.
Social media footage displayed crowds cheering as the first groups of prisoners arrived on buses in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Armed individuals led the procession in front of the buses, while onlookers waved flags from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other militant factions. Upon disembarking, the prisoners were lifted and carried through the throngs of supporters.
Earlier on Saturday, Hamas showcased the four female Israeli soldiers on a stage in Gaza City, before officials from the ICRC arrived to exchange documentation with the group's representatives. The soldiers were then transferred to Red Cross vehicles for departure.
Israeli officials noted that the soldiers would first be taken to an army medical facility for an initial medical assessment, before being moved to a hospital to reunite with their families.
Earlier this month, an agreement for a ceasefire was established between Israel and Hamas, resolving their 15-month conflict which had resulted in significant destruction in Gaza. This deal, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, is structured in three phases, with Hamas anticipated to release 33 hostages—including children, female soldiers, and individuals who are wounded or sick—while receiving an undetermined number of Palestinians in return during the initial stage.
Last week, the first three hostages were freed in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
Approximately 200 Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. In return, the militant group Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers.
Israel’s prison service confirmed on Saturday the release of the 200 individuals, indicating that 121 of them had been serving life sentences for fatal attacks on Israelis, while the rest had been held without formal charges.
The released prisoners exited from Israel’s Ofer and Ktziot prisons and were evaluated by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Following this, 128 were returned to their homes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, while the others were deported, with 70 being taken in by Egypt, according to state media in Cairo.
Social media footage displayed crowds cheering as the first groups of prisoners arrived on buses in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Armed individuals led the procession in front of the buses, while onlookers waved flags from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other militant factions. Upon disembarking, the prisoners were lifted and carried through the throngs of supporters.
Earlier on Saturday, Hamas showcased the four female Israeli soldiers on a stage in Gaza City, before officials from the ICRC arrived to exchange documentation with the group's representatives. The soldiers were then transferred to Red Cross vehicles for departure.
Israeli officials noted that the soldiers would first be taken to an army medical facility for an initial medical assessment, before being moved to a hospital to reunite with their families.
Earlier this month, an agreement for a ceasefire was established between Israel and Hamas, resolving their 15-month conflict which had resulted in significant destruction in Gaza. This deal, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, is structured in three phases, with Hamas anticipated to release 33 hostages—including children, female soldiers, and individuals who are wounded or sick—while receiving an undetermined number of Palestinians in return during the initial stage.
Last week, the first three hostages were freed in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
