Hamas has agreed to release the relics of four Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, Israeli officials said.
This agreement is because the first phase of a fragile ceasefire agreement is nearing its conclusion. Negotiators have raised concerns that the fight in Gaza could resume as they have not yet reached the terms to expand the deal into a more comprehensive ceasefire.
In the first phase, Hamas had agreed to release 25 Israeli hostages and hand over eight more bodies in exchange for more than 1,500 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. On Saturday, Hamas released the last set of living prisoners to be released in the first phase, with Israel being set to release 620 Palestinian prisoners in return.
However, Israel delayed the release of prisoners, saying they would not be released until Hamas committed to not expose the hostages to “humiliating rituals” during future exchanges. It raised more questions about the next step in the ceasefire.
Late Tuesday night, Hamas announced that he had reached a contract for the simultaneous release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the bodies of four hostages. Omer Dostri, a spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister, confirmed that an agreement has been reached, saying in a text message that the swap will take place on Wednesday night or Thursday.
Several of the Palestinian prisoners scheduled for release were convicted of fatal attacks on Israelis, while other prisoners, including minors, were held innocently.
The imminent exchange could be the last in the first phase of the ceasefire, with both Israelis and Palestinians becoming Limbo. According to the Israeli government, there are about 27 hostages and more than 30 hostages still in Gaza.
It is unclear whether serious negotiations have begun in the second phase of the agreement.
The mediator pushed both sides to agree to the second stage. President Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, was expected to visit the Middle East on Wednesday to advance consultations. But Witkoff's trip to the area is now late, US officials said on condition of anonymity discussing his schedule.
