Israel delayed the release of prisoners until Hamas agreed to end public handover ceremonies.
\n gaza
\nIsrael has released more than 600 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the bodies of four Israeli hostages. The swap, which took place early Thursday, is part of the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal that came into effect on January 19.
\nThe handover of the hostages\u2019 bodies was carried out with the help of Egyptian mediators and was confirmed to be underway through an Israeli crossing, with an identification process now beginning.
\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had delayed the release of the prisoners until the bodies were handed over and assured that there would be no public \u201chumiliating ceremonies\u201d during the exchange, which had caused tensions and uncertainty around the future of the truce.
\nHamas had previously held public ceremonies during past exchanges, where hostages were paraded on stage, often with certificates and gift bags, which led to outrage in Israel.
\nThe Israeli government argued that these spectacles were inappropriate and disrupted the process.
\nTo avoid further controversy, Hamas agreed to forgo the usual public ceremony, with the bodies of the four hostages being returned without any fanfare. In return, Israel freed more than 600 Palestinian prisoners.
\nThe handover is the final exchange under the first phase of the ceasefire deal, with the United States working to secure a second phase despite its complex and drawn-out implementation.
\nMeanwhile, a Red Cross convoy transporting the released Palestinian prisoners left Israel\u2019s Ofer prison, heading toward the West Bank town of Beitunia. The convoy was greeted by cheering families and supporters. A similar scene unfolded in Gaza City\u2019s Khan Younis, where hundreds of released detainees were welcomed home. This marks a significant moment in the ongoing efforts to manage the fragile ceasefire and further negotiations for peace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Israel delayed the release of prisoners until Hamas agreed to end public handover ceremonies. gaza Israel has released more than 600 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the bodies of four Israeli hostages. The swap, which took place early Thursday, is part of the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal that came into effect on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":464261,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-464238","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n