Israel delays the release of 46 prisoners after demanding confirmation of the identities of four Israeli captives handed over by the Palestinian Resistance.
The Israeli occupation has suspended the release of 46 female and child prisoners, who were set to be freed early on Thursday morning as part of the seventh batch in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
According to Al-Jazeera, the release of these prisoners was on hold until the Israeli occupation confirmed the identities of the bodies of four Israeli captives handed over by the Al-Qassam Brigades.
At dawn on Thursday, Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, distributed across the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem, in exchange for the Qassam Brigades handing over the bodies of four Israeli captives to the Red Cross.
https://twitter.com/PalestineChron/status/1895044724635115717
The coffins of the four bodies were transported to the Forensic Medicine Institute in the Abu Kabir neighborhood of Tel Aviv for identification.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that the bodies have now arrived in Israel, with initial tests conducted at the crossing and further examinations underway at the Forensic Medicine Institute to determine the identities and causes of death.
The Palestinian Resistance in the Gaza Strip handed over the bodies of four Israeli captives to the International Red Cross, which transferred them to the Israeli side at the Kerem Abu Salem Crossing early on Thursday morning.
Simultaneously, a public reception took place in the center of Ramallah for the first batch of freed Palestinian detainees, as part of the seventh exchange deal.
The moment Red Crescent crews receive released prisoner Kazem Zawahra — who has been in a coma for months — from Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, before transferring him to the city of Bethlehem in the southern West Bank. pic.twitter.com/kVgsGSJK1C
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 27, 2025
Meanwhile, Israeli Broadcasting Authority (KAN) reported that there were talks between the United States and Israel to extend the first phase of the ceasefire agreement for several more weeks.
The handover of the bodies of the four Israeli prisoners in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, took place without ceremonies and away from the media.
Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, had announced on Wednesday that it was decided to hand over the four bodies.
(PC, AJA)
