Hamas releases first three Israeli captives as Gaza ceasefire takes hold

According to the first phase of the agreement, which is expected to last 42 days, more detainees and prisoners will be released. Israeli authorities have confirmed that Hamas has handed over the first three female detainees as the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip took effect.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said late Sunday that Romy Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, had been handed over to the Red Cross and were now "safe" in Israel. Red Cross vehicles departed from Gaza City, located in the besieged northern region, after Hamas brought the captives to Al-Saraya Square, where crowds had gathered.

Red Cross delegates are verifying the identities of 90 Palestinian prisoners who will be released from Israel’s Ofer prison under the terms of the ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire agreement is being implemented in three phases, including the delivery of more humanitarian aid trucks to Gaza to alleviate the disaster in the region. The first phase will last 42 days, during which Israeli forces will withdraw from parts of Gaza.

Hamas military spokesman Abu Obeida said in a televised address that the Palestinian group was committed to the agreement, but its continued implementation would depend on reciprocal action by Israel. Obeida stated that the agreement could have been reached a year ago but was hampered by the "malicious ambitions" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu insists he will continue fighting, while some far-right lawmakers in his government, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have resigned in protest. Following the release of the first group of detainees, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel will achieve all the goals it set in the war, including "defeating" Hamas and releasing all detainees.

The United Nations and world leaders have also welcomed the ceasefire, with outgoing US President Joe Biden stating that "the guns in Gaza have gone silent." Thousands of Palestinians celebrated the long-awaited ceasefire, which could improve conditions in Gaza, after more than 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks that have killed at least 46,913 Palestinians and left thousands missing. Al Jazeera's journalist Ibrahim Halili, reporting from Al-Saraya Square, described the joyful scenes among the crowds. "They are very happy," he said. "There is celebration everywhere after 15 months of a war that destroyed everything. It is a historic moment."

The detainees are expected to be immediately transferred to Israeli forces for identification before being airlifted to a hospital in central Israel. They will stay there for at least four days for psychological and medical assessments after being reunited with their families. Israeli prison authorities and Israeli forces have been reporting this week on their preparations for the release of the detainees.

Approximately 250 people were captured in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. After others were released or their bodies recovered at the end of 2023, around 100 detainees remained in Gaza, although it is unclear exactly how many are still alive. Al Jazeera obtained a list of 90 Palestinian prisoners who will be released in exchange for the three Israeli detainees.

All of these individuals are from the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, with the list primarily consisting of women and a few children. The list includes the name of Khalida Jarrar, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in the occupied West Bank. Others on the list include at least a dozen young Palestinian men, some of whom are under 19, and some minors. According to Al Jazeera’s journalist Nida Ibrahim, many of the children and minors were arrested for throwing stones at Israeli forces. “We are talking about light sentences,” she said. “Hundreds of names on the list of prisoners being released are mostly serving administrative detention, a policy Israel uses to keep people in prison indefinitely without charge. These administrative detentions are repeatedly extended.”

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