Published 15:53 IST, February 1st 2025
Israel Begins Releasing Palestinian Prisoners After Hamas Released 3 Hostages
Hours after Hamas released three hostages as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, Israel has begun releasing Palestinian prisoners...

Ofer Military Prison: The ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestine has been going strong with hostage exchange going smoothly for the past few weeks. Today, hours after Hamas released three hostages, Israel has begun freeing Palestinian prisoners.
Israel Frees Palestinian Prisoners As Part of Gaza Ceasefire Deal
Israel has begun releasing a group of Palestinian prisoners after Hamas freed three hostages as part of the ceasefire deal that has halted 15 months of fighting in the Gaza Strip.
A bus departed Ofer Military Prison with some 32 prisoners for the West Bank. About 150 other prisoners were being sent to Gaza or deported.
According to Palestinian authorities, a total of 183 Palestinian prisoners are to be released, including dozens serving lengthy sentences or life sentences, and 111 people from the Gaza Strip who were arrested after October 7, 2023 and held without trial.
Hamas Releases 3 New Hostages
Hamas released three hostages in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday as part of its ceasefire deal with Israel, while Palestinian authorities say Israel has agreed to release dozens of prisoners in the fourth round of exchanges during the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
The six-week phase one truce calls for the release of 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 prisoners, as well as the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid to the devastated territory.
Israel and Hamas are set next week to begin negotiating a second phase of the ceasefire, which calls for releasing the remaining hostages and extending the truce indefinitely. The war could resume in early March if an agreement is not reached.
Palestinian health authorities in Gaza also announced that the long-shuttered Rafah border crossing with Egypt would reopen on Saturday for thousands of Palestinians who desperately need medical care — a breakthrough that signals the ceasefire agreement continues to gain traction.
(Inputs from AP)
Updated 15:53 IST, February 1st 2025