The release of the seventh batch of Palestinian prisoners begins, and the resistance hands over the bodies of 4 Israelis

The Israeli occupation began releasing the seventh batch of Palestinian prisoners at dawn today, Thursday, after a week of obstructing the agreement. The Palestinian resistance also handed over the bodies of 4 Israelis in Khan Yunis, as part of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Israel released Palestinian prisoners from Ofer prison to the city of Ramallah in the West Bank. A bus carrying dozens of Palestinian prisoners arrived in the town of Beitunia, heading to the Cultural Palace in the city of Ramallah, where their families are waiting for them.

A public reception ceremony was held in central Ramallah for 37 released Palestinian prisoners, out of 42 who were released in successive batches that will take place in the coming hours, as part of the seventh batch of the exchange between Israel and the resistance.

Prisoners meeting with their families after their release as part of the resistance deal pic.twitter.com/daTk8BFRQG

— Quds News Network (@qudsn) February 26, 2025

A Red Cross bus transported a batch of released prisoners from Ofer prison to Ramallah in the West Bank amid tight security measures. According to Al Jazeera, "The first batch of released prisoners includes 37 prisoners from the West Bank and 5 prisoners from occupied Jerusalem."

For its part, the Palestinian Red Crescent announced receiving the prisoner, Kazem Zawahra, who has been in a coma for months, and is being transferred to a hospital in Beit Jala. The two freed prisoners, Khaled Halabi and Hamza Al-Kalouti, also arrived at their homes in Jerusalem, amidst a siege by the occupation forces.

The freed prisoners wore the Palestinian keffiyeh and got off the bus to be greeted by cheers and ululations from the crowd, before they went for a quick medical examination.

In a statement earlier today, the Prisoners' Information Office said that the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis, south of the Strip, had begun preparations to receive the released prisoners, in order to examine them medically, as was the case in previous batches of prisoners released.

The office expected the release of between 590 and 594 prisoners from Gaza. The total number of Palestinian prisoners to be released is not yet clear.

A public reception in central Ramallah for 37 released Palestinian prisoners out of 42 released in the first batch #News #Gaza_War pic.twitter.com/jaZ4VaJGhi

— Al Jazeera Palestine (@AJA_Palestine) February 26, 2025

Handing over the bodies of 4 Israeli prisoners

Simultaneously, the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip handed over the bodies of 4 Israeli prisoners to the International Red Cross, which transferred them to the Israeli side at the Kerem Shalom crossing.

The process of handing over the bodies of the Israelis in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip took place without ceremony and away from the media, according to what Al Jazeera reported.

Watch the Red Cross leave Gaza after receiving 4 Israeli bodies to the Kerem Shalom crossing pic.twitter.com/BMpZE13oI3

— Palestinian Information Center (@PalinfoAr) February 26, 2025

Israeli media reported that the Israeli army received the bodies of the four prisoners from the Red Cross at the Kerem Shalom crossing, and the Israeli Broadcasting Authority explained that Israeli forensic teams are preparing for the initial identification of the bodies of the Israeli detainees.

Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), announced that it was decided tonight to hand over the bodies of prisoners Itzahi Idan, Itzik Al-Jarit, Ohad Yahalomi and Shlomi Mansour.

The first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza began on January 19, 2025, and includes three phases, each lasting 42 days, with the condition that the next phase be negotiated before the current phase is completed.

This stage stipulated the release of 33 Israeli prisoners, living and dead. The Palestinian factions actually released 25 living prisoners and 4 bodies in 7 batches, in exchange for Israel releasing 1,135 Palestinian prisoners, including dozens serving life sentences.

However, last Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu obstructed the release of about 620 Palestinian prisoners who were scheduled to be released as part of the seventh batch, despite Hamas fulfilling its obligations under the agreement.

However, on Tuesday evening, Hamas announced during its delegation’s visit to Cairo that a solution had been reached to end the delay in release, explaining that the remaining Palestinian prisoners from the seventh batch (620 prisoners) would be released in conjunction with the delivery of the four Israeli bodies in the eighth batch, in addition to the equivalent of the last batch of Palestinian women and children, without specifying a number.

Source: Yemen Youth Net + Al Jazeera + Anadolu