Hamas, Israel exchange prisoner lists ahead of Gaza ceasefire

Palestinian movement Hamas and Israel have exchanged lists of hostages and prisoners slated for release as part of a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, a Hamas spokesperson said.

Spokesperson Taher an-Nunu announced: “Today we exchanged lists of hostages and prisoners who are to be released according to the previously agreed-upon criteria,” per Al Jazeera.

He emphasised that the lists handed to Israel include an “agreed number” of Palestinian prisoners, but did not specify how many individuals Hamas is seeking to have released.

Hamas and allied Palestinian militant groups launched a surprise assault on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people (mostly civilians) and abducting 251 individuals—Israelis, foreign nationals, and dual citizens—into Gaza. The captives included children, elderly people, women, and soldiers. This was the deadliest attack on Israel in its history, triggering a full-scale Israeli military response. 

Israel's subsequent invasion and bombardment of the Gaza Strip, aimed at dismantling Hamas's military capabilities and securing the hostages' release, as the enclave's health officials say, left over 67,100 Palestinians dead. They add that nearly a third of the dead are under the age of 18.

By Khagan Isayev