Israeli forces on Monday released 88 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences from Ofer military prison, west of Ramallah, as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed earlier in the day that it had received 20 Israeli hostages from Hamas in Gaza in two separate batches and subsequently handed them over to Israeli authorities, according to news agencies.
Under the first phase of the plan, all living Israeli hostages in Gaza are to be freed in exchange for the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving lengthy sentences — including 88 from Ofer Prison and 162 from Ketziot Prison in the Negev. The released Palestinians will be transferred to the Gaza Strip, with the majority set to be deported to Egypt.
At the same time, around 1,718 detainees from Gaza who were arrested after the conflict began on October 7, 2023, are also slated for release.
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities banned around 100 relatives of detainees due for release on Monday from traveling abroad to receive their loved ones, who are scheduled to be deported outside Palestine as part of the truce deal.
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