Hamas, “Israel” begin sweeping prisoner exchange as part of Trump peace plan

GAZA, Oct. 13 (YPA) -A major prisoner exchange between Israeli occupation  and Palestinian groups in Gaza has begun on Monday, as part of the first phase of a peace plan put forward by US President Donald Trump. The initiative aims to halt the ongoing war in Gaza and lay the groundwork for broader regional stability.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed it had received the first group of seven Israeli detainees held in Gaza and transferred them to Israeli authorities. A second group of 13 Israeli captives is expected to be released later today, completing the return of all 20 living Israeli hostages.

As part of the deal, Hamas will also hand over the remains of 28 Israeli nationals who died during the conflict. The bodies are being retrieved gradually from beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza.

In return, Israeli occupation has agreed to release a total of 1,968 Palestinian prisoners. This includes 250 inmates serving high or life sentences and 1,718 individuals from Gaza who were detained following the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023.

Ahead of the releases, Israeli authorities transferred the prisoners to two central facilities. At Ofer Prison, west of Ramallah, 107 detainees were assembled, while 143 others were taken to Ketziot Prison in the Negev, where preparations were underway for their handover to Egyptian authorities, who will facilitate their return to Gaza.

The exchange process is being conducted under the supervision of a tripartite oversight committee comprising Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, tasked with ensuring the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities reportedly barred nearly 100 family members of the released Palestinian prisoners from traveling to receive their relatives. Many of the released detainees are expected to be deported or relocated outside of the Palestinian territories.

@E.Y.M