Hamas has released six Israeli captives from Gaza as part of the final prisoner exchange under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian group and Israel.

The first two captives, Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu, were transferred to the Red Cross in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Saturday after being escorted onto a stage by armed Hamas fighters.

Later, three more captives—Eliya Cohen, Omer Wenkert, and Omer Shem Tov—were handed over to Red Cross officials in Nuseirat, central Gaza, in a separate ceremony.

The final captive, Hisham al-Sayed, was released later on Saturday. The 37-year-old Bedouin Israeli had been held in Gaza since April 2015 after crossing into the territory.

These six individuals mark the last group of 33 captives to be freed in the initial stage of the ceasefire, which began on January 19.

Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Nuseirat, noted that a large crowd had gathered to witness the release of the three captives.

Before the handover, Professor Sami al-Arian from Istanbul Zaim University told Al Jazeera that the staged releases were intended to demonstrate Hamas’s role as a responsible negotiating party by “showing the whole world that they were trying to keep [the captives] alive and safe.”

Later on Saturday, Israel is set to release 602 Palestinian prisoners, including 445 individuals detained during its military operations in Gaza, along with others serving lengthy or life sentences, according to Hamas.

The fragile ceasefire was recently at risk after the misidentification of a body returned on Thursday, initially believed to be Shiri Bibas, who was taken captive with her husband and two young sons during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

Late on Friday, Hamas handed over Bibas’s body, which was later confirmed by her family.

BDST: 2129 HRS, FEB 22, 2025
SMS