ALBAWABA- Hamas has finished the preparations to release three Israeli prisoners—Eli Sharabi, Or Levy, and Ohad Ben Ami—in exchange for 183 Palestinian detainees, including 18 serving life sentences.
Abu Obeidah, the military spokesperson of Al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed the release, with the names of the Israeli prisoners later verified by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
For the first time, Hamas has freed hostages from central Gaza, an area where the Israeli military has yet to conduct operations.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Prison Service is preparing to release Palestinian prisoners from Keziot and Ofer prisons once the Israeli prisoners' return is confirmed.
Of those being freed, 111 were detained in Gaza during the war, while 72 are from the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Seven of the released Palestinians will be deported.
Red Cross vehicles arrived in Deir al-Balah to facilitate the handover of the Israeli detainees. Israeli authorities have stated they will prevent any public celebrations marking the release of Palestinian prisoners.
This exchange comes amid controversy surrounding a reported proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to depopulate Gaza and place it under U.S. control—an idea that has sparked widespread uproar in the region.
