To date, Israel has received 19 captives and four bodies while 1,135 Palestinian detainees, including dozens serving life sentences, have been freed.
Israel will release 602 Palestinian detainees on Saturday, including 50 who have been sentenced to life imprisonment and 60 others with lengthy prison terms, the Palestinian Prisoners Media Office in Gaza announced on Friday.
In addition, 47 Palestinian detainees from the 2011 “Shalit Deal,” who had been rearrested, as well as 445 Palestinians from Gaza, detained after October 7, 2023, are set to be freed.
Israel will release 602 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Media Office in Gaza
➡️ They include 50 Palestinians who have been sentenced to life imprisonment and 60 others with lengthy prison terms https://t.co/eSCvxgO8Hg pic.twitter.com/T6zT1GnEji
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) February 21, 2025
Second Phase Concerns
Earlier on Friday, Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for the military wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced the names of six Israeli captives who will be released on Saturday as part of the seventh batch of the prisoner swap in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement which took effect last month.
He announced that Elijah Maimon Yitzhak Cohen, Omar Shem Tov, Omer Finkert, Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu and Hisham Al-Sayed will be handed over.
Hamas Rejects Israeli Demands for Disarmament in Ceasefire Negotiations
To date, Israel has received 19 captives and four bodies.
Four more bodies are expected to be handed over next week, marking the conclusion of the first phase of the agreement.
In return, Israel has already released 1,135 Palestinian detainees, including dozens serving life sentences.
However, the start of negotiations for the second phase of the agreement, which was originally scheduled for February 3, has been delayed by Israel, the Anadolu news agency reported.
Body of Shiri Bibas
Meanwhile, despite Hamas’ pledge to investigate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims about not receiving Shiri Bibas’ body, an Israeli newspaper reported on Friday that Tel Aviv is considering setting a 24-hour deadline for her body’s return, Anadolu reported.
Israel’s security establishment is considering recommending to its political leadership that the remains of Bibas be returned within the next 24 hours, the Yedioth Ahronoth claimed in its report, without mentioning any sources within Netanyahu’s government, Anadolu noted.
The Al-Quds Brigades published scenes from the handover of the body of the Israeli detainee Oded Lifshitz and the bodies of the Bibas family as part of the first stage of the prisoner exchange deal.
Translation Notes:
0:06 – Decision to retrieve the body of a zionist captive.… pic.twitter.com/QEFhGmlt1t
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 20, 2025
Moreover, the Israeli government has not yet issued an official comment on the matter, according to the Anadolu report.
Hamas handed over the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir, and Oded Lifshitz in the southern city of Khan Yunis on Thursday.
However, Netanyahu claimed early on Friday that Hamas had returned the body of a Palestinian woman from Gaza, not Shiri Bibas, and vowed to retaliate for what he called a “violation” of the agreement.
‘Full Commitment’ – Hamas
In response, Hamas said that it would thoroughly investigate the allegations and announce the results.
The movement stated, “We highlight the possibility of an error or overlap in the bodies, which may have resulted from the occupation targeting the place where the family was located along with other Palestinians,” referring to Shiri Bibas and her two children.
Hamas Rejects Netanyahu’s Accusations, Pledges Transparent Review
The statement further emphasized, “We have no interest in withholding or not complying with the return of any bodies in our possession. We call for the return of the body that the occupation claims belongs to a Palestinian woman.”
Hamas also rejected the threats issued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and stressed the need to adhere to the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
“We affirm our seriousness and full commitment to all our obligations, as demonstrated by our actions over the past days,” the statement read.
Future of Ongoing Exchange
Despite these developments, Yedioth Ahronoth reported, according to Anadolu, that Israeli officials believe the incident will not jeopardize the broader prisoner exchange deal with Palestinian factions in Gaza.
Gaza Authorities Document over 350 Ceasefire Violations by Israel
Meanwhile, families of Israeli captives in Gaza have urged Netanyahu’s government to find a “wise and responsible” way to return Shiri Bibas’ body without damaging the ongoing exchange for the release of living captives.
The issue surrounding Shiri Bibas’ body should not affect the planned release of six living Israeli captives on Saturday, Israeli broadcaster KAN reported, citing a senior Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, according to Anadolu.
(PC, Anadolu)
