Resistance Begins Handover of Six Israeli Prisoners to Red Cross in Exchange for 602 Palestinian Hostages

Gaza (Quds News Network)- The Palestinian resistance has started transferring six Israeli prisoners to the International Red Cross. Meanwhile, Israel is expected to release 602 Palestinian detainees.

Fighters from the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, deployed in large numbers in Rafah, in southern Gaza, and Al-Nuseirat, in central Gaza, to oversee the process. The handover ceremony is taking place in front of crowds of civilians.

Three Israeli prisoners will be handed over in Rafah, while the other three will be released in Al-Nuseirat. In return, Israel is expected to release 602 Palestinian hostages from its detention centres. This includes 50 detainees serving life sentences and 60 others with long-term sentences. Additionally, 47 former prisoners who were freed in the 2011 “Shalit deal” but re-arrested.

Israel will also free 445 detainees from Gaza, who were taken hostages after October 7, 2023. Several Al-Qassam units, including the “Shadow Unit,” responsible for handling prisoners, are overseeing the exchange.

Abu Ubaida, Al-Qassam Brigades’ military spokesperson, announced that the six Israeli prisoners are Eliya Cohen, Omer Shvotov, Omer Finkret, Tal Shoham, Avra Mengistu and Hisham Al-Sayed.

At the exchange sites in Rafah and Al-Nuseirat, Al-Qassam fighters showcased weapons seized from Israeli forces in battle. Images of resistance leaders killed in the war were also displayed.

In Rafah, the handover is taking place just a few hundred meters from Israeli military positions. A banner at the site reads: “We are the flood… We are the fierce strength.”

Resistance fighters from various factions are attending the event. A banner on the platform reads: “The land knows its people… Not the foreigners with dual citizenship.”
Despite the expected release, Hamas officials stated that Israel has not yet delivered the list of Palestinian hostages who will be freed today.