Al-Qassam Brigades stated in a statement that this was “within the framework of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal,” noting that they will hand over the remains of prisoners Guy Elouz, Yossi Sharaabi, Bavin Joshi, and Daniel Perry.
Earlier today, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the release of the first seven hostages from the Gaza Strip. Israel announced on Monday morning that this is part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza according to US President Donald Trump’s plan.
A joint statement from the Israeli army and the General Security Service (Shin Bet) mentioned that “Israeli army forces and the General Security Service (Shin Bet) in the Gaza Strip have received seven Israeli hostages, and they are now on their way to Israeli lands, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment.”
The Israeli army spokesperson urged the public to act responsibly and sensitively, respect the returning hostages’ privacy, and rely only on official information.
Earlier, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, announced on Monday, as part of the first phase of Trump’s plan to end the war on the Strip. The Hamas movement affirmed in a statement its commitment to the agreement and the role of mediators in obliging Israel to fulfill all its commitments.
The movement described the liberation of prisoners from Israeli prisons, including those serving life sentences and high sentences, as “the fruit of the steadfastness of the people of Gaza and the heroism of its sons in resistance, embodying the will for liberation in the face of the new Nazis,” as they put it.
They pointed to the failure of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his army over two years to liberate his soldiers by force, forcing him to accept the resistance’s terms through a swap deal. The movement emphasized its concern for the safety of the prisoners despite Israel’s attempts to target them, highlighting the continuous violations faced by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
