Why it matters:
Hamas has kept its end of the bargain. It has fulfilled its commitments by releasing the captives, demonstrating its genuine intentions and adherence to the so-called Gaza peace agreement. In contrast, Israel has a long history of breaking, abandoning, or disregarding agreements made with the Palestinians.
On the ground:
On Monday morning, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, handed over seven of the 20 living Israeli captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza City. This marked the first phase of a ceasefire agreement reached through indirect negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh, involving Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar, and supervised by the United States, amid complex security conditions on the ground.
Early on Monday morning, the Qassam Brigades released the names of the 20 Israeli prisoners scheduled for release: 'Matan Engerst, Ziv Berman, Alon Ohel, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Avitan Or, Avitar David, Elkana Bohbot, and Gali Berman.' The list also included 'Sego Calvin, Roman Preslavsky, Guy Gilboa, Matan Tsangawker, Eitan Horn, Maxim Harkin, Nimrod Cohen, Bar Kuperstein, Eitan Mor, Omri Moran, David Konio, and Ariel Konio.'
The Israeli Army Radio stated that the list of names released by Hamas “matches a list known to Israel” and represents an official acknowledgment of the commencement of the first phase of the agreement’s implementation.
In this regard, a senior source in the Al-Qassam Brigades stated that the resistance handed over the living prisoners of the occupation to the Red Cross in Gaza, emphasizing that the agreement is the result of the resistance’s perseverance. He added that the Al-Qassam Brigades are fully committed to the terms and timetable of the agreement, while the occupiers have not shown the same commitment.
The big picture:
The Qassam Brigades had been eager from the early months to halt the Zionist occupiers’ destructive war in Gaza, but the enemy thwarted all efforts due to its brutal instincts and narrow political calculations.
Today's transfer of Israeli prisoners is part of the ongoing implementation of exchange agreements carried out by the Martyr Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades during the war.
Previously, in November 2023,105 prisoners were released—including 81 Israelis, 23 Thais, and one Filipino—followed by the release of 33 Israeli prisoners in another exchange deal in January 2025.
Go deeper:
Hamas: We tried hard to protect Israeli captives as ‘war criminal’ Netanyahu tried to kill them
M.Derakhshandeh - seyed mohammad kazemi
