Source Credit: AL MONITOR
Hamas has announced the planned release of three Israeli hostages on Saturday as part of an ongoing Gaza ceasefire agreement. In exchange, Israel will free 183 Palestinian prisoners from its jails.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the swap and stated that an Israeli delegation will travel to Doha afterward to continue negotiations on extending the ceasefire.
The Hostage Swap Agreement
The three Israeli hostages set to be released—Eli Sharabi, Or Levy, and Ohad Ben Ami—were named by Hamas, with Netanyahu’s office confirming their identities. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an advocacy group, reported that among the 183 Palestinian prisoners to be freed, 111 were Gazans detained after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the ongoing conflict.
This marks the fifth such exchange under the truce, which has so far resulted in the release of 18 Israeli hostages in return for around 600 Palestinian prisoners. Mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, the ceasefire aims to secure the release of 33 hostages within its first 42 days.
Trump’s Gaza Proposal Sparks Controversy
Meanwhile, the ceasefire talks have been overshadowed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent proposal that the United States take control of Gaza after the war. The plan, which suggests relocating Gaza’s Palestinian population and placing the region under U.S. administration, has triggered outrage across the Middle East.
Despite international condemnation, Trump reiterated his stance on Thursday via his Truth Social platform, stating:
“The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting. No soldiers by the US would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!!!”
His remarks have been met with sharp criticism. Hamas has outright rejected the idea, calling it “absolutely unacceptable,” while Egypt warned that Israeli support for such a plan could derail ceasefire negotiations and reignite hostilities.
Pleas for More Hostage Releases
As negotiations continue, freed Israeli hostage Yarden Bibas has made a heartfelt appeal to Netanyahu, urging him to secure the release of his wife and two children, who remain captive in Gaza. Hamas previously claimed that Bibas’s family had died, but Israeli officials have yet to confirm this.
In an interview with Israeli broadcaster Channel 14, Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to fulfilling the ceasefire agreement:
“As for the next phase, it is much more complex, but I am hopeful that we’ll be able to achieve it.”
With the next prisoner swap set to take place on Saturday, the future of the ceasefire remains uncertain amid growing tensions over Trump’s controversial proposal.
The War’s Toll
Since the war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel and took 251 hostages, 76 remain in captivity. The Israeli military believes that 34 of them have already died.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 47,583 people, the majority of them civilians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. The United Nations has deemed these figures credible.
With both sides weighing their next moves, the coming days will be critical in determining whether the ceasefire holds or if the region plunges back into full-scale conflict.
