Israel and Hamas began the first stage of their prisoner exchange early Monday, carried out through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), officials from both sides confirmed.
In a statement, the ICRC said it had launched a multi-phase operation to oversee the release and transfer of prisoners as part of the ceasefire agreement.
Seven Israelis have already been handed over to the Red Cross, with another 13 expected to be released at 10 a.m. local time. The first group is currently being transported to Israeli military custody, the committee said.
Red Cross buses were seen positioned outside Ofer Prison ahead of the scheduled release of Palestinian detainees.
The Palestinian Prisoners Club published a list of 1,718 Palestinians expected to be freed under the terms of the deal.
