Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida announced that three Israeli prisoners will be released on Thursday as part of an ongoing exchange deal under the Al-Aqsa Flood agreement.
Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, confirmed that the group will release three Israeli prisoners on Thursday.
“As part of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal, the Al-Qassam Brigades have decided to release the following zionist prisoners tomorrow, Thursday, January 30, 2025: Arbil Yehud, Agam Berger, and Gadi Moshe Moses, “Abu Obeida said in a statement.
Palestinian media reports suggest that Israel plans to release 110 Palestinian prisoners on Thursday, with 32 serving life sentences, 48 serving maximum sentences, and 30 being minors.
ABU OBEIDA: As part of the Al-Aqsa Flood deal, Hamas will release prisoners Arbel Yehud, Agam Berger, and Gadi Moshe Moses tomorrow.
CHANNEL 12: Israel will free 110 Palestinian prisoners, including 33-life sentenced prisoners, tomorrow in exchange for 3 Israeli prisoners held… pic.twitter.com/mz6BcIICcP
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 29, 2025
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later stated that Israel had received a list of detainees scheduled for release from Gaza, which includes three Israelis and five Thai nationals.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the prisoners to be freed include Yehud, Berger, and Moses, alongside five Thai citizens.
A political source cited by Israeli media indicated that the list presented by Hamas was deemed acceptable by Israel.
The issue of Arbel Yehud’s captivity has been central to the Israeli government’s actions, reportedly obstructing the return of displaced Palestinians from southern and central Gaza to the north.
ABU OBEIDA: Abu Obeida, the military spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, revealed the name of seven Israeli prisoners killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza.
FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG: https://t.co/W4L8n3D8k4 pic.twitter.com/c936ZsaoE2
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 9, 2024
The first phase of the ceasefire, slated to last six weeks, will see the release of 33 Israeli prisoners held in Gaza in exchange for approximately 1,900 Palestinians held by Israel. So far, seven Israeli female prisoners have been released in exchange for 290 Palestinians.
On Monday, Israel announced that eight of the 26 prisoners set to be released during this first phase had died while in captivity.
The first phase also serves as the groundwork for negotiating the second phase of the agreement, which aims to release the remaining prisoners and bring an end to the ongoing conflict.
The final phase is expected to focus on Gaza’s reconstruction and the return of the bodies of the last prisoners who died in captivity.
(PC, AJA)
