Israel: the stages of the ceasefire agreement and hostage release

A complex diplomatic operation leads to the release of 33 hostages in exchange for 1,700 Palestinian prisoners. First releases expected from Sunday

On Sunday 21 January, the release of the first three hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip will begin. These are three women, which will be followed after seven days by the release of four more hostages. In total, 33 people will return to Israel in the first phase of the agreement signed between the Israeli government and Hamas. The hostages were selected on the basis of humanitarian criteria, including women, children, the elderly, and injured people.

The youngest include brothers Ariel, aged 5, and Kfir, aged 2, who will be released together with their parents, Shiri and Yarden. The oldest is Shlomo Mansour, 86. Details on the order of release have not yet been revealed, but the Israeli authorities will receive a report on the health status of each hostage seven days after the ceasefire begins.

The women and young female soldiers

Among the 33 hostages are ten women, including Israeli female soldiers Agam Berger, Daniella Gilboa, Liri Albag, Naama Levy and Karina Ariev. Belonging to the IDF electronic surveillance unit, these young women were in charge of monitoring the border with Gaza. They were captured during the assault on the Nahal Oz base, in which 52 Israeli soldiers lost their lives.

Karina Ariev, 19, had appeared in a Hamas propaganda video, while Daniella Gilboa was kidnapped directly from her bed. Other women will also be freed, such as Romi Gonen, kidnapped at the Nova Music Festival, and Doron Steinbrecher, a 31-year-old nurse.

International hostages

Among the hostages to be freed are dual nationals. Emily Damari, 27, the only British hostage, will be among the first to be released. Raised in London, she had moved to Israel to live on Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Other international hostages include two Franco-Israeli hostages, Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi, confirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron, and two Americans, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Keith Siegel. Sasha Trufanov, a Russian citizen, and Avera Mengistu, an Ethiopian, are also included in the list.

The release of Palestinian prisoners

In exchange for the hostages, Israel will release 1,700 Palestinian prisoners. This group includes 700 people accused of terrorism, including 250-300 sentenced to life imprisonment. Another 1,000 detainees were captured during the fighting in the Gaza Strip that began on 8 October 2023. The Israeli authorities will manage the transfer of the prisoners, ensuring that strict security standards are met.

According to the established schedule, after the release of the first three hostages, three people will be released each week for four weeks. In the sixth and final week, the remaining 14 hostages will be released, thus completing the first phase of the agreement.

The situation of the hostages still being held

Israel has requested a full report on all hostages still held in Gaza, including the health status of each one. However, the Israeli authorities emphasised that the release of the bodies of the deceased hostages will only take place at the end of the process. Hamas, according to sources, will announce the names of the hostages 24 hours before each release, although the official announcement often takes place the same day.

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(Photo: © Haaretz)