Gaza City: Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, handed over six Israeli captives to the Red Cross on Saturday in a coordinated operation across three locations in Gaza. This exchange marks the seventh such instance under the January 19 ceasefire agreement.

According to Anadolu Agency, the first two captives were released in Rafah, located in southern Gaza. Among them were Tal Shoham, associated with the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, and Avera Mengistu, who had been held since 2014 after entering Gaza under mysterious circumstances. Subsequently, three more captives-Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem-Tov, and Omer Wenkert-were released in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip. The last captive, Hisham Al-Sayed, a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship, was released later in the day without a formal ceremony.

The Red Cross representatives and the Al-Qassam Brigades signed an official transfer protocol to ensure the safe delivery of the captives. The Israeli army confirmed the receipt of the captives and stated that they were en route to Tel Aviv for an initial medical evaluation.

In exchange for the Israeli captives, Israel has agreed to release 602 Palestinians currently held in its jails. This exchange is part of the broader ceasefire deal aimed at halting the conflict that has resulted in over 48,000 casualties, primarily affecting women and children, and has devastated the region.

The ceasefire has temporarily paused what has been described as a genocidal war by Israel. In connection with these events, arrest warrants were issued by the International Criminal Court in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, Israel is currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice regarding its actions in the enclave.