Israel has released 90 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for three hostages set free by Hamas, according to the Hamas Prisoners Media Office. The released individuals include 69 women and 21 teenage boys. Of these, 76 were freed from the West Bank and 14 from Jerusalem. The youngest prisoner, Mahmoud Aliowat, is 15 years old.

Advertisment

Also read: 'Guns in Gaza have gone silent': Joe Biden delivers final remark on Gaza ceasefire as US president

Ahead of the release, Israeli police minibuses were seen stationed outside Ofer prison. Among the freed prisoners is Khalida Jarrar, 62, a prominent figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a leftist faction with an armed wing responsible for attacks on Israelis. Human Rights Watch, based in New York, described her repeated arrests as part of Israel’s broader crackdown on nonviolent political dissent.

Dalal Khaseeb, 53, the sister of Saleh Arouri, a former deputy leader of Hamas who was killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut in January 2024, was also released. Additionally, Abla Abdelrasoul, 68, the wife of detained PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat, was among those freed. Saadat is serving a 30-year sentence for ordering the assassination of Israeli tourism minister Rehavam Ze’evi in 2001.

Advertisment

Also read: First three Israeli hostages released by Hamas after Gaza ceasefire: Where do they go next?

Israel currently holds at least 10,000 Palestinian prisoners, according to the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society. This number includes 3,376 people held under administrative detention, where individuals are detained without public charges or trial. Among them are 95 children and 22 women.

Ceasefire agreement and hostage exchange

Advertisment

The highly anticipated ceasefire, to be implemented in three phases, began at 11:15 local time (9:15 GMT) on Sunday following a delay of nearly three hours after Hamas did not share the names of the Israeli hostages being released. Hamas attributed the delay to “technical reasons” but later revealed the names of the first three hostages to be released: Doron Steinbrecher, 31; Emily Damari, 28, a dual British-Israeli national; and Romi Gonen, 24.

Also read: 'First Obama, then Biden': Russia accuses Democratic presidents of sabotaging US-Russia ties before Trump's return

Each Israeli hostage will be released in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners. The initial phase of the agreement will see 33 of the remaining 98 hostages in Gaza being released over six weeks in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

(With inputs from agencies)