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- Hamas released three Israeli prisoners on Feb. 8 as part of a prisoner swap with Israel, which released 183 Palestinian prisoners and agreed to pull back from southern Gaza. This swap is part of a larger ceasefire agreement announced on Jan. 15.
- Concerns were raised about the condition of the released Israeli hostages, who appeared gaunt and frail.
- The ceasefire agreement is still under scrutiny, with accusations from Hamas that Israel is not fully complying with aid delivery commitments.
Full Story
Hamas released three Israeli prisoners on Saturday, Feb. 8, during a hostage swap. Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners during the swap, Israel has also agreed to pull back from the southern part of Gaza on Sunday, Feb. 9.
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Bias Summary
- Hamas released three Israeli captives from Gaza, while Israel freed 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday.
- Since the ceasefire began on January 19, 21 Israeli and Thai captives and 383 Palestinian detainees have been freed.
- The deal's first phase involves Hamas gradually freeing 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
- Hamas has released 18 hostages, including five Thai citizens, and identified three more Israeli hostages to free as part of the ceasefire agreement.
- Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages on Saturday, whose gaunt appearance shocked Israelis, while Israel began freeing dozens of Palestinians in the latest stage of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the 15-month war in Gaza.
- Hamas identified three more Israeli hostages it plans to free as part of the fragile ceasefire agreement, a sign the deal was moving forward on Friday.
- Israel is set to release 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday to fulfill its side of the agreement, according to the Hamas-linked prisoners’ office in Gaza.
- The terms of the deal’s first six-week phase call for Hamas to gradually free a total of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
- Hamas has released three Israeli hostages as part of a prisoner exchange deal, marking the fifth round of such exchanges since January 19.
- In return for the hostages, Israel is expected to release 183 Palestinian prisoners, including 18 serving life sentences, according to Hamas.
- The negotiations follow the October attacks, where multiple Israelis were taken captive from southern communities near the Gaza border.
- So far, Hamas has freed 21 hostages, including five Thai citizens kidnapped during the October 7 attack.
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595 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
595
Leaning Left
78
Center
87
Leaning Right
69
Last Updated
12 hours ago
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Why were the hostages released?
The hostages were released as part of a prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas. The prisoner swap is part of an overall ceasefire between the two groups.
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The ceasefire was announced on Jan. 15 and began four days later. The deal was reached after months of negotiations between Israel, Hamas, Qatar, the United States and Egypt.
The deal is a three-part plan. The first part will last 42 days. During that time, Hamas will release 33 hostages at regular intervals. Israel will release about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli Defense Forces will be required to leave populated areas and displaced Palestinian civilians will be allowed to return to neighborhoods.
IDF troops will be able to stay in Gazan border areas during this time.
Part two of the deal will consist of 16 days following the first stage’s 42 days. During this time, a permanent ceasefire will be established and all remaining living hostages in Gaza will be exchanged for more Palestinian prisoners.
The IDF will also make a complete withdrawal from Gaza during the second stage.
Hamas will return all remaining bodies of Israeli hostages during the last stage of the plan. The third part also consists of rebuilding Gaza, which experts say will take years.
What are the conditions of the hostages?
The condition of the three Israeli hostages raised concerns during the release. Some said the hostages looked gaunt and frail. As they were released, Hamas paraded them around during a staged handover.
During the handover, the three hostages were made to hold certificates showing their release. They were also made to thank the people imprisoning them and call for Israel to stop the war and stick to the ceasefire.
The three hostages were imprisoned for 16 months after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
Who are the hostages?
Eli Sharabi, 52, was kidnapped from a kibbutz during the attack. His brother, wife and two daughters were all killed during the attack.
Ohad Ben Ami, 56, was kidnapped from the same Kibbutz as Sharabi. His wife was also kidnapped. She was released in a previous hostage release.
Or Levy, 34, was kidnapped after running away from the Nova music festival with his wife. The two hid in a bomb shelter during the attack. His wife’s body was found in the bomb shelter where the two had been hiding.
How many more hostages are there left?
Officials said there are 33 hostages left in Hamas’ custody. At least eight of those hostages are dead.
If the ceasefire holds up, the remaining hostages and 1,900 Palestinian prisoners are set to be released.
What’s next in the war?
Hamas accused Israel of failing to abide by the ceasefire on Friday, Feb. 7. The group claimed Israel was only allowing 8,500 of the expected 12,000 aid trucks to enter Gaza. However, the United Nations said on Thursday, Feb. 6, that 10,000 aid trucks had gone through Gaza.
President Donald Trump reiterated his proposal to move all Palestinians from Gaza and redevelop it as an international travel destination.
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Officials said Trump’s proposal had complicated ceasefire talks but Israeli negotiators were still expected to meet with mediators in Qatar on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 33%
Center 37%
Right 30%
Bias Summary
- Hamas released three Israeli captives from Gaza, while Israel freed 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday.
- Since the ceasefire began on January 19, 21 Israeli and Thai captives and 383 Palestinian detainees have been freed.
- The deal's first phase involves Hamas gradually freeing 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
- Hamas has released 18 hostages, including five Thai citizens, and identified three more Israeli hostages to free as part of the ceasefire agreement.
- Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages on Saturday, whose gaunt appearance shocked Israelis, while Israel began freeing dozens of Palestinians in the latest stage of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the 15-month war in Gaza.
- Hamas identified three more Israeli hostages it plans to free as part of the fragile ceasefire agreement, a sign the deal was moving forward on Friday.
- Israel is set to release 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday to fulfill its side of the agreement, according to the Hamas-linked prisoners’ office in Gaza.
- The terms of the deal’s first six-week phase call for Hamas to gradually free a total of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
- Hamas has released three Israeli hostages as part of a prisoner exchange deal, marking the fifth round of such exchanges since January 19.
- In return for the hostages, Israel is expected to release 183 Palestinian prisoners, including 18 serving life sentences, according to Hamas.
- The negotiations follow the October attacks, where multiple Israelis were taken captive from southern communities near the Gaza border.
- So far, Hamas has freed 21 hostages, including five Thai citizens kidnapped during the October 7 attack.
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
Left
+0
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Untracked Bias
Click to close
595 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
595
Leaning Left
78
Center
87
Leaning Right
69
Last Updated
12 hours ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
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