Hamas releases first three Israeli prisoners as Gaza ceasefire takes hold | Israel-Palestine conflict news

Israeli authorities have confirmed that Hamas handed over the first three female prisoners as a ceasefire agreement for the war-torn Gaza Strip came into effect.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said Sunday evening that 24-year-old Romi Gonen, 28-year-old Emily Damari and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher were handed over to the Red Cross and are “in safe hands” in Israel.

The Red Cross vehicles took off from Gaza City in the heavily besieged northern part of the enclave after Hamas brought the prisoners to al-Saraya Square as a crowd gathered.

A Red Cross delegation was confirming the identities of 90 Palestinian prisoners ahead of their release from Israel’s Ofer prison as part of the ceasefire agreement.

The ceasefire deal is set to roll out in three phases and includes sending many more humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza to alleviate the disaster in the enclave. The first phase will last 42 days while Israeli forces withdraw from parts of Gaza.

Hamas military spokesman Abu Obeida said in a televised speech that the Palestinian group is committed to the deal, but its continued implementation will depend on Israel’s reciprocity.

A deal could have been reached over a year ago and was blocked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “malicious ambitions”, he said.

The Israeli leader has insisted he will continue to fight as some far-right lawmakers in his government led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir resigned in protest. Netanyahu stressed after the first prisoners were released that Israel will achieve all the goals it has set in the war, which include “defeating” Hamas and releasing all prisoners.

The UN and world leaders also welcomed the ceasefire, with outgoing US President Joe Biden saying “guns in Gaza have fallen silent”.

Thousands of Palestinians celebrated the long-awaited ceasefire that could improve conditions in Gaza after more than 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks that have killed more than 46,000 Palestinians and left thousands missing.

Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Khalili described from as-Saraya Square scenes of joy among the crowd.

“They are very happy,” he said. “Celebrations are taking place everywhere after 15 months of war that destroyed everything. This is a historic moment.”

The captives are expected to be immediately taken to Israeli forces for identification, then airlifted to a hospital in central Israel. They will remain there for at least four days for psychological and medical evaluations after being reunited with their families.

The Israeli prison service, as well as Israeli forces, have reported this week how they have been preparing for the release of the prisoners.

About 250 people were seized during the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. About 100 prisoners still remain in Gaza after others were released in late 2023 or their bodies were found, although it It is still unclear exactly how many are alive.

Al Jazeera obtained the list of 90 Palestinian prisoners who will be released in exchange for the three Israeli prisoners.

All are from the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, where the list includes mainly women and a few children.

The list includes the name of Khalida Jarrar, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in the occupied West Bank. Others on the list include at least 12 young Palestinian men, some of them under the age of 19, and minors.

According to Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, many children and minors have been arrested on charges related to throwing stones at Israeli forces.

“We’re talking about light sentences,” she said. “The list of prisoners, the hundreds of names that have been released, are mostly serving administrative detention, which is a tactic used by Israeli policy to keep people in prison indefinitely without charges. These administrative detentions continue to be renewed again and again.”

Hours before the ceasefire took effect, Israel announced it had retrieved the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war and whose remains have been held since then.