The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced that it has received a second group of Israeli prisoners from the Gaza Strip, totaling 13 individuals, as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Earlier on Monday, the Committee received the first group of seven Israeli prisoners from Gaza and transferred them to the Israeli authorities.
In a statement, Hamas confirmed that it had handed over a total of 20 living Israeli prisoners to the Red Cross in Gaza, reaffirming its commitment to the terms and timeline of the agreement, provided the Israeli side fulfills its obligations.
According to the first phase of the agreement, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on October 9 as part of his plan to end the war in Gaza, all living Israeli prisoners held in the Gaza Strip-numbering 20-will be released.
Additionally, 28 bodies are to be returned gradually, depending on the progress of recovery efforts from beneath the rubble in Gaza.
In exchange, the Israeli authorities will release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, along with 1,718 detainees from Gaza who were arrested following the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023. The entire exchange is to be completed within a 72-hour window beginning on Friday, as stipulated in the agreement.
