Buses carrying nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees freed from Israeli prisons started rolling out on Monday, coinciding with the handover of all remaining living Israeli captives by Hamas to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The simultaneous movements mark a major milestone in the first stage of the Israel–Hamas truce and prisoner exchange agreement, reports Al Jazeera and Reuters.
According to Reuters, a total of 1,966 Palestinians have been cleared for release. Among them, 250 detainees will be repatriated to the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and other destinations, while 1,716 Palestinians originally taken from Gaza are to be received at the Nasser Hospital compound in southern Gaza.
Al Jazeera reported that convoys of buses have been dispatched from Gaza towards the Karm Abu Salem crossing to collect the released detainees. Meanwhile, preparations are underway at the ICRC office in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, to receive those scheduled for transfer.
Human rights groups say that more than 11,000 Palestinians remain behind bars in Israeli facilities, many subjected to inhumane treatment including deprivation, medical neglect, and alleged torture conditions blamed for multiple deaths over recent months.
The truce agreement, approved by Israel early Friday and activated at noon Jerusalem time, calls for the gradual release of captives on both sides.
Under this phase, Israel will free 250 Palestinians serving long-term sentences- 88 from Ofer Prison near Ramallah and 162 from Ketziot Prison in the Negev Desert before transferring them to Gaza, with some later expected to move to Egypt, according to the WAFA news agency.
Additionally, 1,718 Palestinians detained following Israel’s October 2023 ground operations in Gaza are to be released in the coming days.
However, Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet, reportedly blocked the release of 25 senior Palestinian political figures it deems “security threats.”
The barred list includes high-profile detainees such as Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Saadat of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and veteran Hamas commander Hassan Salameh.
Israeli media outlets said the government held an emergency session early Monday to modify the release roster, adding five additional names as reserves.
One of the newly listed figures is Dr Hossam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, who was arrested during a December raid on the facility.
As detainee transfers began on Sunday, Israeli troops conducted raids on the homes of several West Bank prisoners slated for release, warning families against public celebrations or displaying national flags—a practice consistent with prior prisoner exchanges throughout Israel’s ongoing two-year campaign in Gaza.
In a parallel move, Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, handed over a second batch of 13 Israeli captives to the ICRC after an initial release of seven, bringing the total number of Israelis freed to 20.
Israel’s Army Radio later confirmed that Hamas no longer holds any living captives.
Hamas earlier published a list of the 20 Israelis released- among them two soldiers and reiterated its commitment to the deal, provided Israel honors its own obligations.
“The occupation failed to retrieve its captives through force and was eventually compelled to accept the terms set by the resistance,” Hamas said in a statement, adding that it had “ensured the captives’ safety” despite Israel’s ongoing strikes on Gaza.
The group vowed to continue prioritizing the liberation of Palestinians still imprisoned by Israel.
Israeli authorities have, meanwhile, declared 26 of 48 missing captives dead, based on forensic findings and intelligence assessments, while two others remain unaccounted for. Most, officials said, were killed in Israeli bombardments of Gaza.
Hamas indicated that recovering the bodies of deceased captives may take time, as some burial sites remain unknown. An international committee is expected to assist in locating and identifying the remains in the coming weeks.
