On February 22, 2025, Hamas released six Israeli hostages from Gaza as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel. In exchange, Israel is set to release over 600 Palestinian prisoners.
Details of the Hostage Release:
- Individuals Released: The hostages include Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, and Hisham al-Sayed. Notably, Mengistu and al-Sayed had been detained by Hamas for approximately a decade. citeturn0news11
- Release Process: The handover was conducted through organized ceremonies in Gaza, facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross. citeturn0news11
- Palestinian Prisoners: Israel is expected to release 602 Palestinian detainees, including 50 individuals serving life sentences. citeturn0search4
- Delay in Release: The release of Palestinian prisoners has been postponed pending a meeting of Israel's security cabinet. citeturn0news11
- Current Status: The ceasefire has temporarily halted hostilities between Israel and Hamas. However, uncertainties persist regarding its longevity and the potential for renewed conflict. citeturn0news10
- Remaining Hostages: Approximately 63 hostages are still believed to be held in Gaza, with ongoing negotiations anticipated for their release. citeturn0news9
- Health Crisis in Gaza: British medical professionals have expressed concerns about severe long-term health impacts on the Palestinian population in Gaza. Issues such as malnutrition, infectious diseases, and a shortage of medical personnel are expected to lead to elevated mortality rates. citeturn0news11
- Polio Vaccination Campaign: In response to recent detections of the poliovirus, Gaza has initiated a mass polio vaccination campaign to prevent an outbreak.citeturn0news11
The situation remains fluid, with both sides facing internal and external pressures that could influence the ceasefire's stability and the broader regional dynamics.
It is approaching 6 pm in Gaza City and Tel Aviv. Here are the day’s main developments so far:
- Hamas has released six hostages in Gaza today. Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu were handed over to officials from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on stage in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Later, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert were released in Nuseirat in central Gaza. In the afternoon, Hisham al-Sayed was transferred to the Red Cross without a ceremony and then crossed into Israeli territory.
- Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert and Hisham al-Sayed have all been returned to Israel. Hamas had held Mengistu and al-Sayed since they entered Gaza separately under unexplained circumstances around a decade ago. The family of al-Sayed described his return on Saturday as a “long-awaited moment”.
- According to Israeli press reports, the release of 602 Palestinians from Israeli jail, scheduled for today in return for the latest six hostages released by Hamas, has been delayed by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government at least until a meeting of the security cabinet this evening.
- The Palestinian Prisoners Club said that of the 602 Palestinians scheduled to be released from Israeli prisons today, 445 were captured in the Gaza Strip after 7 October 2023 and will be released back into Gaza.
- The body of the Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas has been identified, Israel’s army radio reported early on Saturday, after the remains initially returned were found to belong to someone else
- The Bibas family say they have been provided no official details relating to how their loved one died – and have asked that the media stop sharing or publishing any details they hear. It comes after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a description of how it claimed the children had died.
- Hamas said on Saturday it was ready to move to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal and to carry out a comprehensive hostage-prisoner exchange to achieve a permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal of Israeli forces. The comments were made before reports that Israel would be delaying the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
- Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists reported that a third mass polio vaccination campaign began in Gaza on Saturday. The aim is to deliver the first dose to nearly 600,000 children across the Palestinian territory. Scores of children under the age of 10 received the dose at a mosque in Jabalia, in northern Gaza. The vaccination campaign involves multiple UN agencies, including the Israeli-boycotted UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (Unrwa).
- British doctors who worked in Gaza during the war have issued dire predictions over the long-term health of Palestinian civilians, warning that large numbers will continue to die. The prevalence of infectious disease and multiple health problems linked to malnutrition, alongside the destruction of hospitals and the killing of medical experts, meant mortality rates among Palestinians in Gaza would remain high after the cessation of Israeli shelling.
- Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, will travel to Lebanon for the funeral of longtime Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday, AFP reported, citing Iranian media. An Israeli airstrike killed Nasrallah on 27 September last year.
