The Palestinian resistance has handed over three Israeli prisoners in Khan Yunis as part of a prisoner exchange, while Israel is set to release 36 life-term Palestinian prisoners and 333 detainees from Gaza.
A source within the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, stated that the handover of three Israeli prisoners on Saturday took place in a black vehicle that the resistance seized during the October 7, 2023, operation.
Members of both the Al-Qassam Brigades and the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, have been deployed in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, where a platform has been prepared for the transfer of the prisoners to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
This marks the sixth exchange process under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
According to Al-Jazeera correspondent Hani Al Shaer, a source in the Al-Qassam Brigades revealed that the resistance gifted Israeli prisoner Sagi Dekel Han a gold piece for his daughter, who was born four months after his capture. The three prisoners are also expected to address the media in Hebrew.
Ahead of the transfer, the Qassam Brigades placed an hourglass on the platform, along with an image of Einav Zangauker, the spokesperson for the families of Israeli prisoners, and the phrase “Time is running out,” signaling the urgency of ongoing exchange negotiations.
📹 Palestinian resistance groups hand over three Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, as part of the sixth batch of the prisoner exchange deal under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. pic.twitter.com/nvr1Sgv8KQ
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 15, 2025
The platform displayed images of 11 Israeli kibbutzim and military sites taken over during the October 7 attack, with the Qassam source affirming that the Khan Yunis Brigade led these operations.
Also featured were images of key Palestinian Resistance leaders killed during the war, including Qassam Brigades commander-in-chief Muhammad al-Deif and Khan Yunis Brigade commander Rafeh Salama, among others instrumental in strengthening the resistance’s military capabilities.
At the center of the platform, a large banner read, “We are the soldiers, O Jerusalem, we are coming,” reinforcing the resistance’s strategic focus on Jerusalem.
On the left side, a picture of Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, was placed alongside the seat he was reportedly martyred in Rafah, with the phrase “No to displacement”—a clear rejection of any plans to displace Gaza’s residents.
Does Trump know what he is doing?
Trump’s displacement plan isn’t just reckless—it echoes the Nakba of 1948. Palestinian intellectual @RamzyBaroud breaks down the long-term consequences for the region. Watch the latest FloodGate short. #Palestine #Nakba #Gaza #Trump #MiddleEast… pic.twitter.com/zKADx4T8TD
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 15, 2025
Hamas had previously announced the names of the three Israeli prisoners set for release today: Alexander Trubnov, Sagi Dekel Han, and Yair Horn.
Since early morning, large crowds have gathered at the handover site, similar to previous exchanges, carrying flowers, sweets, Palestinian flags, and images of resistance leaders as a show of support for the factions carrying out the exchange deal under the ceasefire agreement.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Information Office reported that Israel will release 36 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment and 333 prisoners from Gaza who were detained after October 7, 2023.
(PC, AJA)
