GAZA CITY/ RAMALLAH – Hamas’s armed wing confirmed it will hand over Saturday six hostages held alive in the Gaza Strip as part of the ongoing ceasefire deal with Israel.
The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement on Friday that the release would occur as planned.
Meanwhile, Israel will free 602 inmates from jails on Saturday as part of a hostage-prisoner swap with Hamas, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club advocacy group.
Among those released, 445 are individuals from Gaza who were arrested after Hamas’ October 7 attack that sparked the war, 60 are serving long sentences, 50 are serving life sentences, and 47 were re-arrested after a 2011 prisoner exchange, Amani Sarahneh, spokeswoman for the NGO, told AFP.
AN-AFP/21 Feb 2025
