Unlock the digestive of free editor
Roula Khalaf, the FT editor, chooses her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Hamas released the two Israeli hostage on Saturday, and the fourth exchange of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza took place.
The six-week ceasefire is the first phase of a three-phase complex agreement driven by intermediaries led by SH. of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Israeli government said both men – Yarden Bibas and the Sales offer – were handed over to its forces in Gaza, who would take them out of the enclaves.
A third Israeli mortgage will also come out. In return, Israel is due to 183 Palestinian prisoners later on Saturday.
In a further historic moment in the two-week old ceasefire, a group of wounded Palestinians is expected to leave Gaza later on Saturday through the Rafah intersection point to Egypt, which has been closed since Israeli forces captured his control over their offensive in the Enclava last May.
The war was driven by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 on Southern Israel, during which militants killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials and seized 250 hostages.
Israel responded with a devastating attack that killed more than 47,000 people, according to Palestinian officials, lowered most of Gaza in ruins and sparked a humanitarian catastrophe in Enclave.
About 100 hostages were liberated during the only previous war ceasefire at the end of 2023, while a small part was rescued by Israeli forces. Israel has also taken the bodies of some hostages.
In total, Hamas will issue 33 hostages in exchange for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners under the first stage of the agreement. Israeli officials said earlier this week that Hamas had informed him that eight out of 33, which include women, children, sick and the elderly – had died.
During the second phase – on which Israel and Hamas will begin to negotiate in the coming days – Hamas is intended to release all the remaining lifestyles in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees, the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and a permanent end of war.
The third and last phase will include the return of the remaining hostages that have died and the reconstruction of Gaza.