Hamas released three Israeli hostages on Saturday, February 8, against the expected release of 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, February 8. This is the fifth exchange since the entry into force of a cease-fire agreement between the Islamist movement and Israel after 15 months of devastating war in Gaza. Since January 19, 18 hostages and 582 Palestinian prisoners, plus an Egyptian, have been released. Among them is the Franco-Israeli hostage Ofer Kalderon, released last weekend.
Doubts, finally dissipated Friday evening, hovered over the operation this Saturday in view of the shock wave caused by the proposal of the American president, Donald Trump, of an American takeover of Gaza. After insisting on this project on Thursday, the American president said on Friday that he was “absolutely not in a hurry”. Flurling on the details of its implementation, its plan nevertheless moves away the perspective, in the long term, from a solution to two states to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has lasted for almost 80 years.
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Info to remember
⇒ Hamas has given three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross
⇒ Israel will release on Saturday 183 Palestinian prisoners
⇒ The United States announces a sale of weapons in Israel for more than $ 7 billion
Hamas has given three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross
After 16 months of captivity in the Gaza Strip, three new hostages were given to the Red Cross this Saturday morning: or Levy, 34, Eli Sharabi, 52, and the Israélo-German ohad ben Ami, 56 years old .
Transported in pick-ups, the three men, very emaciated and the features drawn, were taken to a podium during a ceremony organized by Hamas fighters, in Deir al-Balah, in the center of the Gaza Strip , according to AFP correspondents on site. They were then delivered, as with each exchange since the entry into force on January 19 of the ceasefire, to the international Red Cross which will in turn transfer them to the Israeli authorities.
Eli Sharabi’s wife and their two teenage daughters were killed in their Kibbutz Beeri house in southern Israel during the October 7 attack. Yossi Sharabi, Eli Sharabi’s older brother, taken hostage separately, is presumed dead. The wife of Gold Levy, Einav, was killed during the assault of the Hamas commandos against the Nova music festival, where the couple had come to party. And that of Ohad Ben Ami, kidnapped with him at Kibbutz Beeri, was released during the first truce of a week in Gaza in November 2023.
Israel will release on Saturday 183 Palestinian prisoners
Israel will release on Saturday 183 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the three hostages that must be released, the Palestinian prisoners club announced on Friday, an NGO in charge of the file. These are “18 prisoners sentenced to life, 54 sentenced to heavy penalties and 111 orders in Gaza after October 7,” said Amani Sarahneh, club spokesperson.
The first phase of the six -week agreement provides in total the release of 1,900 Palestinians, against that of 33 Israeli hostages, of which at least eight died. Of the 251 people kidnapped during the October 7 attack, 76 are still retained by Hamas, at least 34 of which died according to the Israeli army.
Washington announces a sale of weapons in Israel for more than $ 7 billion
The United States announced on Friday to have approved the sale of bombs, ammunition and missiles with a total value of $ 7.4 billion in Israel, which used American weapons in the war in the Gaza Strip.
This arms contract includes the sale of bombs, guide kits and rockets for an amount of $ 6.75 billion, as well as Hellfire missiles for $ 660, according to the American cooperation agency Defense and security (DSCA). The proposed sale of bombs “improves Israel’s ability to cope with current and future threats, strengthens its national defense and serves as a means of deterrence in the face of regional threats,” the agency said in a statement.
The announcement comes when the Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu found himself all week in Washington where he welcomed his reunion with Donald Trump and his unwavering support in Israel.