Egypt announced on Saturday that Israel will release over 1,890 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages as part of the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire.
The Egyptian foreign ministry stated the prisoners would be released during the initial 42-day truce period, which will commence at 06:30 GMT on Sunday.
Qatar, a co-mediator alongside Egypt and the United States, confirmed that 33 hostages held by Gaza militants would also be freed in this phase.
Israel’s justice ministry indicated that 737 Palestinian prisoners would be released, with no releases occurring before 14:00 GMT on Sunday.
Out of the 251 individuals taken hostage during Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, 94 remain in Gaza, including 34 whom the Israeli military has declared deceased.
The ceasefire, marking only the second truce in 15 months of war in Gaza, follows a conflict that has claimed over 50,000 lives and devastated the Palestinian territory.
Egypt acknowledged the mediation efforts of Qatar and credited the pivotal role of the newly inaugurated US administration under President Donald Trump in helping secure the agreement.
