Palestinian resistance hands over two Israeli prisoners to ICRC in Rafah
GAZA, Feb. 22 (YPA) – The seventh batch of the exchange operations within the first phase of the ceasefire agreement is being handed over in two different locations: the first in Rafah and the second in the Nuseirat camp.
This morning, Saturday, Hamas handed over the two Israeli prisoners, Tal Shoham and Avra Mengistu, to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) team in the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip, as part of the seventh batch of the exchange deal. ICRC vehicles arrived at the handover site accompanied by specialized units from the Al-Qassam Brigades, which were present to secure the operation.
In return, the Israeli occupation authorities announced the names of the Palestinian prisoners who will be released as part of this phase. The Prisoners’ Information Office affiliated with Hamas explained that 50 prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment will be released, in addition to 60 others serving long sentences, and 47 prisoners who were re-arrested after their release in the “Wafa al-Ahrar” deal. The list also includes 445 prisoners from the Gaza Strip who were arrested after the events of October 7, 2023.
Hamas confirmed that it will release six Israeli prisoners within the framework of this agreement, namely, Elia Maimon Yitzhak Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Finkert, Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu, and Hisham al-Sayed.
YPA