Hamas frees 8 captives in 3rd Gaza ceasefire swap but Israel delays release of Palestinian prisoners

CAIRO – 30 January 2025: Hamas released all eight captives on Thursday as part of the third swap under the Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel.

However, the Israeli government announced it has delayed the planned release of 110 Palestinian prisoners in exchange, citing concerns over the safety of Israeli captives amid large crowds of Palestinians.

A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office indicated that he ordered the postponement of the Palestinian prisoners' release scheduled for today “until the safe passage of our hostages can be guaranteed in future releases.”

“Israel demands that the mediators achieve this,” the statement continued, referring to Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, which brokered the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his grave concern over the “shocking scenes during the release of our hostages.”

He urged the mediators to ensure that “such threatening scenes do not occur again and to guarantee the safety of our hostages.”

Netanyahu issued a warning, stating, “Whoever dares to harm our hostages, his blood will be on his head.”

THIRD CAPTIVE RELEASES

The first captive released today was Israeli soldier Agam Berger, who was handed over to the Red Cross in Jabalia in northern Gaza.

Later, 29-year-old Arbel Yehud, an Israeli-German civilian, and 80-year-old man Gadi Moses were freed, along with five Thai nationals.

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect between the two sides on 19 January, halting over 15 months of war on the enclave, which has claimed the lives of over 47,000 Palestinians.

More than 111,000 were injured and almost all of the population were displaced since October 2023.

Under the ceasefire, Israeli authorities began permitting the return of displaced citizens in the Gaza Strip from the south to the northern areas on Monday morning.

In the first two exchanges since the recent ceasefire came into force, Hamas and Israel successfully swapped seven Israeli captives—three civilians and four female soldiers—in exchange for 290 Palestinian prisoners.

The released captives include 24-year-old Romi Gonen, 28-year-old Emily Damari, 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher, as well as 20-year-olds Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy, along with 19-year-old Liri Albag.