Three Israelis and 183 Palestinians to be freed in next Gaza ceasefire swap

Israel and Hamas are set to conduct the fourth prisoner exchange during the Gaza ceasefire on Saturday, with Hamas releasing three Israeli hostages in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. This exchange is another step taken by both sides within the framework of the ceasefire agreement, aimed at de-escalating the conflict and releasing those detained.

Palestinian Prisoners' Association spokesperson Amani Sarahneh stated on Friday that "the number of prisoners to be released tomorrow has been updated to 183," after she had previously announced that 90 prisoners would be released. The organization released two lists of those to be released on Saturday, with the first list including 72 prisoners who were arrested before the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The second list of released prisoners contains 111 Gazans who were detained after the attack. Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, released a statement on Telegram on Friday, announcing the names of the three Israeli hostages to be released: Ofer Kalderon, who holds dual Israeli-French nationality, Yarden Bibas, an Israeli citizen, and Keith Siegel, who holds dual Israeli-American nationality. Bibas is the father of two children, Kfir, who was nine months old at the time, and Ariel, who was four years old. However, the fate of Kfir, Ariel, and their mother Shiri has not been confirmed by Israel.

Hamas stated in late 2023 that the children and their mother died in Israeli bombings early in the Gaza war. Siegel, in his 50s, was captured, and his wife, Aviva, was released by Hamas in the first hostage exchange in November 2023. Kalderon, also in his 50s, was kidnapped by Hamas, and his two children, Erez and Sahar, were released in the first exchange as well. Al Jazeera’s Laura Khan, reporting from Amman, Jordan, said that the Israeli Prime Minister's office had received and accepted the lists, and noted that Bibas's release was viewed as particularly symbolic and important in Israel.

Khan said that Bibas’s release is significant partly because there was a dispute between Israel and Hamas during negotiations about whether to release men under 50, which Hamas was initially reluctant to do but ultimately agreed to. Additionally, Israelis had originally expected Bibas, Siegel, and Kalderon to be released earlier during the first phase of the ceasefire that took effect on January 19, but they were not, and Israeli forces had previously expressed concerns about their well-being. Under the Gaza ceasefire agreement, 33 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza will be released during the first six weeks of the truce in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are serving time in Israel.

To date, 15 hostages held in Gaza, including five Thai workers, and 400 Palestinian prisoners have been exchanged. On Thursday, Hamas released three Israelis and five Thai hostages, and Israel released 110 Palestinian prisoners, after the process was delayed due to crowds rushing to one of the handover points. Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Rashid Street in Gaza, said that for many Palestinians in Gaza, the return of Palestinian detainees was a "deeply symbolic victory," representing resilience. However, he also said that many were shocked by the chaotic scenes during the release of the Israeli hostages on Thursday, and criticized the release process at Al-Beireh, which was completely disorganized and lacked the dignity it deserved.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced domestic criticism for failing to secure a prisoner exchange deal earlier in the war, after Hamas-led militants breached the Gaza-Israel border and attacked nearby Israeli communities. However, there is also opposition to the current agreement, with some Israeli critics arguing that it leaves the fate of most hostages unresolved and that Hamas remains the dominant entity in Gaza. At least 1,139 people were killed and more than 200 kidnapped in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel's military response has resulted in the deaths of more than 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza.

About half of the hostages were released during the only truce in November 2023, and others have been found dead or alive during Israel's military operations in Gaza. Further negotiations regarding the implementation of the second phase of the current ceasefire, scheduled to begin on March 1, aim to pave the way for the release of more than 60 other hostages, including men of fighting age, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. If successful, Israel’s war in Gaza could officially end, and negotiations could begin on the daunting challenge of rebuilding the Palestinian enclave.