(Euronews): Israel has released 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, a move that follows the release of three Israeli hostagesby Hamas. The prisoners were freed more than seven hours after the Israeli hostages were returned. A large bus carrying the detainees departed from Ofer prison, located near the West Bank city of Ramallah, in the early hours of Monday.
According to the Palestinian Authority’s Commission for Prisoners' Affairs, all those released were either women or minors. Israel had detained them for offenses related to national security, including stone-throwing and more serious charges such as attempted murder.
This announcement was made on the second day of a three-phase ceasefire deal that started on Sunday. The truce was originally scheduled to begin at 7:30 am CET, but Israel refused to carry it out until it had the names of the hostages that Hamas intended to free, therefore it was postponed until 10:15 am CET.
In exchange for hundreds of Palestinians detained by Israel, 33 Hamas hostages will be released over the course of six weeks, according to the ceasefire's initial phase. Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher are three Israeli women who were released by Hamas on Sunday. They were given to the Red Cross in Gaza City before being sent to Israel's troops.
In a Tel Aviv hospital, the three Israeli women are undergoing medical care and are currently in stable condition. Israel is anticipated to liberate 30 to 50 Palestinians for every Hamas hostage it releases.
The agreement's second phase focuses on actions to bring the conflict in Gaza to a lasting halt. Israel would agree to free some 1,000 Palestinians during this phase, while Hamas would release the remaining hostages. A complete Israeli troop departure from Gaza is also part of it.
The agreement's last section addresses Gaza's rehabilitation. In return for Israel's reconstruction plan for Gaza, Hamas is expected to repatriate the bodies of captives who perished while in captivity.
Hamas's cross-border attack in October 2023 set off the conflict, which claimed almost 1,200 Israeli lives and led to the seizure of 250 hostages. According to local health professionals, Israel's overwhelming attack in retaliation has killed approximately 46,000 Palestinians. Both militants and civilians are included in these numbers, and over half of the dead are women and children.
The region has become unstable due to the continuous fighting, which has exacerbated political differences within Israel and sparked protests around the world. Both sides are negotiating a difficult and precarious peace process, and the anxiety surrounding the truce and prisoner releases has only made matters worse.
It's unknown if the three-phase truce will lead to a lasting solution or if more bloodshed will break out, but it's considered a cautious move toward lowering hostilities. The international world keeps a careful eye on the situation since both parties are under growing pressure to come to a long-term peace deal.
